Contractor urged to complete drainage projects before Ironman

LAPU-LAPU City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan has called out the private contractor in charge of drainage projects located in three barangays, urging it to complete their work before the Ironman 70.3 Philippines race on Aug. 7, 2022.Chan made the demand after expressing his disappointment that the drainage projects located in Barangays Mactan, Maribago and Agus have remained incomplete even though they were supposed to be finished last year.Chan, who conducted an ocular inspection on those projects on Thursday, July 28, said the incomplete projects could cause accidents for those participating during the Ironman 70.3 Philippines. Around 2,000 participants from 48 countries are expected to join the race, he added.The incomplete excavations were mostly five meters deep and they were only temporarily covered with thick iron sheets, Chan said.The project was awarded on Dec. 10, 2020 and it should have been completed within 250 calendar days. The completion date would have been on Aug. 16, 2021.Causes of accidentsChan said several accidents have happened in areas where the excavations are located.Despite pleas to the contractor to finish them, no progress has been made on those projects, according to Chan.The mayor even met with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) Sixth District Engineering Office in order to address the matter.The DPWH officials earlier assured Chan that the drainage projects in the three barangays will be finished before the race could begin.However, the DPWH officials told Chan that they kept calling the contractor’s attention. They later learned that the contractor reportedly hired a sub-contractor to complete the drainage projects.According to the DPWH, the contractor does not work on Saturdays due to “religious reasons.” For Chan, the reason is not acceptable.“Insulto na kaayo ni namo diri nga inyo lang gibiyaan ug gipasagdan ang mga drainage ug road projects kay kami ang ma-perwesyo,” he said.(This is an insult to us because you [contractor] abandoned your drainage and road projects while we suffer.This not only affect our work, but also our economy and our local tourism.)SunStar Cebu tried to get the statement of DPWH Sixth Engineering District head Daisy Toledo but she has yet to respond on the matter.The mayor also clarified that there is no problem on the side of the Lapu-Lapu City Government when it comes to the preparation for the race, saying everything is all set for the August 7 race.