Archival to contractors: Finish your projects on time or face penalties

Local

SICK of endless roadworks and flood control projects dragging on for years, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. is now demanding accountability from contractors.

He warned that those who fail to finish on time must pay damages worth five percent of their contract or risk being blacklisted.

“The people of Cebu City are already tired of projects that never seem to end,” Archival said on Wednesday, September 10, after calling in Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) contractors to City Hall.

“Kung pwede ang inyong kontrata 100 days, 50 days atong humanon. But these are the most important things… if they fail to finish on time, they must pay penalties,” he added.

Archival outlined a new scheme requiring contractors to sign undertakings pledging to complete projects as scheduled. If they fail, he said, they would pay five percent of their contract value directly to the city.

“Inga-ani, these are my proposals: Kung naa silay kontratang x amount… ang 5 percent sa 10 percent. Sa ato pa, kung naay usa ka million, ang 10 percent ana basically is 100,000. 5 percent sa 100,000 which is 5,000, mao nay penalty kada adlaw,” he explained.

He clarified that the penalties would not be unilaterally imposed by City Hall but rather agreed upon by contractors themselves before being granted permits.

“Sila may mu-undertaking. Kung ma technical ta kung atong gi impose. Sila may nisulti nato,” Archival said.

For contractors ignoring city summons, Archival issued a stern warning.

“Ako sila dad-an silag suwat… ato na silang i-blacklist sa city government kung dili god sila cooperative.”

Aside from penalties, the mayor also ordered contractors to improve transparency and safety in their projects.

Among the requirements:

-Signage at both ends of the project sites indicating costs, contractor details, and deadlines.

-Deployment of traffic flagmen trained by the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO).

-Assignment of workers to keep project sites clean and safe.

“Make sure nga og unsay requirement sa TIC inyo ng i-follow. If you’re not going to follow that, then we’re not going to give you the permits,” Archival told contractors.

Archival pointed to the seven-year delay in Ayala Heights as one of the worst examples, saying residents had suffered too long from accidents and inconvenience. He also cited ongoing problems in Banilad and Pardo, where projects have been left unfinished.

“Daghan kaayong nadisgrasya dinha. Kahibaw kong daghang disgrasya kay daghan mang muadto sa akong office. Akong giingnan sila karon og dili pa na ninyo mahuman… himu-i na, himu-i na og kanang espaltuha na para sayon ra ang pagdagan sa mga sakyanan,” he said.

Archival admitted that monitoring has been a weak spot for City Hall, saying no dedicated office currently oversees ongoing works.

“Sa tinuod lang, mao nay atong problema sa city government, walay nag monitor sa mga projects. Gikan sa dagko hangtod sa gagmay,” he said, adding that he plans to issue an executive order creating a project monitoring office.

The mayor’s move comes after he earlier halted a few of the P751 million worth of flood control projects until DPWH aligns its coordination with the city. He said the policy is about fairness and accountability.

“It’s not fair nga muingon sila nga mahuman ni namo, pero kung dili mahuman, wala tay mahimo. The undertaking is a mutual understanding—mo-promise ka nga humanon, ug kung dili, mobayad ka. Fair enough,” Archival said.(TGP)