P166M projects lack engineering designs

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Audit has found 23 infrastructure projects in Lapu-Lapu City with a total contract cost of P165.9 million without the detailed engineering designs (DEDs) prior to the bidding and award of contracts.

COA in its 2016 audit report said the City Engineering Office did not sufficiently conduct detailed engineering activities beforehand, resulting in the delays in implementing and completing the projects.

COA’s examination on paid disbursement vouchers showed that eight projects with contract cost of P53 million were granted with extension of contracts due to various reasons.

Almost all of these projects were completed last year which include drainage systems, repair of central fire station, and road concreting.

The other 15 projects with contract cost of P112.9 million were also suspended with only 48 to 80 percent completion rate as of December 31, 2016.

The projects include concreting and rehabilitation of roads, construction of barangays halls, and construction of classrooms, among others.

“Based on the foregoing, the reasons for the grant of contract time extension/suspension of work were due to variation orders, traffic congestion, unavailability of construction materials, utility/drainage lines and road right-of-way problems which are foreseeable and could have been mitigated, if not eliminated, during the conduct of detailed engineering,” the COA report reads.

Detailed engineering is the key phase in which the project’s cost is defined and set, as well as the identification and resolution of possible hindrances to ensure the smooth implementation of the project.

COA noted that the procurement of these projects were “carried out even in the absence of the required certification from the City Engineering Office and/or City Planning and Development Office that the detailed engineering surveys and designs have been conducted according to the prescribed agency standards and specifications and that the detailed engineering outputs are adequate for the procurement at hand.”

The City Engineering Office justified that at the outset they have at least substantially complied with the requirements of the conduct of detailed engineering activities prior to the bidding.

Although they admitted of some shortcomings since they were confronted with the usual predicaments of limited manpower and preoccupation with other equally important and urgent work assignments.

The City Engineering Office assured though to conduct the DEDs for all projects with reasonable accuracy to lessen, if not eliminate the need for variation orders and issue the required certification on the conduct thereof as basis for the Bids and Awards Committee to undertake the biding and award of the contract. (FREEMAN)