‘We are answerable to the people of Bataan’- Vice Gov Garcia

BALANGA CITY, Bataan -“We are answerable to the people of Bataan”. This was the statement of Vice Governor Cris Garcia during an inquiry on Monday’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) regular session regarding the construction of a bridge along the national road in Barangay Ibaba, Samal.

Present in the inquiry were DPWH Unified Project Management Office Engr. Solomon Vinta, DPWH First District Engineer Erlindo Flores, and Tokwing Construction Corporation Engr. Chito Sampang.

The SP called on the inquiry following complaints from local residents particularly in first district about the very slow construction and the no work development in site.

“The people are asking us regarding the project, why so long and why no one is working in the site and they see no development. The project has brought so much inconvenience to the people”, she queried to guests.

“We want to know because the people are asking us at SP, they ask even the governor, and other elected officials”, she said.

Vinta said the bridge project is under DPWH Central UPMO and the DPWH Bataan First District is merely coordinating.

He admitted the detailed design of the bridge has not yet been approved by the DPWH, only the concept design, and that Tokwing is “doing the project at its own risk”.

He explaine, the people currently see no actual construction in site, because parts of the bridge are being assembled in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Vinta said the 18.7milion peso bridge project got the notice to proceed on October 2015 and should be finished in two years. He said they already got 60 days extension on the project, which is until November this year.

He divulged Tokwing is constructing 10 bridges in Central Luzon including the Samal bridge project. He also admitted project had been subcontracted in the past.

Board Member Rolly Tigas pointed out Tokwing shouldn’t have destroyed the old bridge without the approved detailed design unless DPWH said the old bridge was already collapsing.

For his part, Board Member Rey Ibe said that they could find suggestion to DPWH to hasten the project construction coming from the inquiry. He noted that there might be other qualified contractors aside from Tokwing to construct bridges in Central Luzon.

“We hope that the bridge will be finished by November and if possible earlier and I ask you to put billboards so that the people of Bataan will know the status of your work”, Garcia told the engineers.

Photo courtesy of Vice Gov Cris Garcia FB page.