Archival asks public to report delayed, substandard infra projects

Local

CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival has appealed to Cebu City residents to help monitor and report delayed or substandard infrastructure projects.

At a press conference on Monday, September 15, Archival said many projects in the city, particularly those handled by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), have been dragging on for years or are poorly executed, inconveniencing residents instead of serving them.

“Kita man untay makabenepisyo, pero ang akong tan-aw karon, kita may na perwisyo,” Archival said. “Akong gihanyo ang publiko nga if naa moy nakita nga kinawt diha sa inyong dalan, tabangi ko ato ilista kay ato na i-quantify tagsa-tagsa. Karon nalang man gud ni nahibaw-an nga daghan kaayo nga projects substandard.”

Archival cited the collapsed riprap in Barangay Budlaan as an example of questionable workmanship.

“Kita man mo sa Budlaan… walay kabilya. Mao ba na ang standard sa DPWH?” he asked.

He also pointed to Talamban, where a newly cemented road was built higher than the old pavement, creating safety risks.

“Nagtrabaho nga walay coordination, nagtrabaho nga bahala without even thinking nga makaperwisyo sa atong mga katawhan,” Archival said, adding that projects like these expose the public to accidents rather than improvements.

While clarifying that not all DPWH works are substandard, Archival said up to 90 percent of projects in Cebu City proceed without transparency on who is implementing them.

To address this, Archival launched a crowdsourcing initiative on his official Facebook page on Sunday, September 14, urging citizens to send photos and reports of problematic projects.

“We are currently verifying and evaluating the status of DPWH (national government-funded) and DEPW (city-funded) infrastructure projects in Cebu City using our official records. While we do this, we encourage citizens to help us identify problem areas,” Archival wrote.

Residents are encouraged to report:

- Damaged or broken roads

- Drainage issues

- Flooding or standing water

- New excavations or openings

- Long-unfinished projects

Reports must include the exact location, photos from different angles, and details such as how long the project has been stalled. Submissions can be made through Archival’s page or the Cebu City Public Information Office.

This new appeal builds on Archival’s earlier warning to contractors on September 9, when he said the city would strictly enforce the five percent daily penalty rule written into government contracts for delayed projects.

He also ordered that projects be finished in half the scheduled time, with proper safety measures such as signage, flagmen, and debris clean-up in place.(TGP)