Cebu City has P500M unimplemented infrastructure projects

CEBU CITY, March 8 – Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena has expressed disappointment on the report that the city did not implement some P500 million worth of infrastructure projects that include desiltation of rivers, water channel improvement, installation of water catchments in upper areas, among others.

It was reported that the city has only implemented about .02 percent of the projects since 2006 for lack of funding.

This was confirmed by Assistant City Engineer Kenneth Enriquez during her appearance at the City Council last week.

Osmena expressed his disappointment with Enriquez.

The mayor said he cannot fund a project if there’s no program of works and estimates from the engineering department.

It was learned that the city hired a few years back engineer Pedro Adonis Compendio as consultant to study the drainage problem in the city’s lowland barangays.

The study covered Cebu City’s 79,000-square-kilometer land area of 48 urban barangays, the North Reclamation Area and the South Road Properties.

The P13.6 million study was fulfilled by Compendio and received by the city in 2006. But until now, his recommendations have not been fully implemented.

Osmena said he did not see the program of works and estimates of the projects, including the drainage master plan.

He blamed the people in the engineering department for the inaction despite the fact that he asked for it several times.

Osmena said it is unfair for him to be blamed for not funding the projects when he hadn’t seen a program of works and estimates.

He said he works hard every day to sign numerous requests. Nothing is pending, all is funded, he said.

He cited a problem in the engineering department where the employees don’t like to go to the field because they are regular and are not afraid of being terminated.

Osmena said it is hard for him to fire the employees since they are protected by the Civil Service Law.

Councilor Joey Daluz lll wants the engineering department to explain why the projects are not fully implemented. (PNA) FFC/EB/re

Similar Posts:

• PGMA releases P20M for NVizcaya flood control projects
• Cebu City to implement P200M road projects in March
• Huge fund, political will needed to fix Cebu City's drainage system
• DPWH urges Cebu City to tap solons for drainage improvement
• Cebu City gov't asks homeowners to use cisterns to collect rainwater