EDITORIAL - Missed deadline

Talisay City Mayor Gerard Anthony “Samsam” Gullas has every reason to feel disappointed over the slow pace of the repair of the Mananga Bridge, an important government infrastructure that has served the people in the south for decades.

The bridge has undergone a massive rehabilitation since November last year. It was scheduled to reopen today but the contractor reportedly requested for more time because of some unfinished works.

In his Facebook post, Gullas said he was deeply disappointed and embarrassed over the delay of the repair, expressing concern that it might cause heavy gridlock during the international Ironman triathlon event next Sunday.

“Though we cannot control DPWH and its contractor, I can assure our constituents that we will regularly deploy traffic personnel at the bridge to make sure that gridlocks won't occur there during peak hours,” the young mayor added.

We cannot blame Gullas and the commuters for being upset over the unfinished repairs. As the city’s chief executive, he knows the city is taking the blame for the serious traffic condition in the Tabunok area caused by the project.

The contractor should have a lot of explaining to do why it was not able to meet the deadline. It has been at least nine months since it started the project and the delay is not acceptable, considering the serious traffic problem it is causing the public.

Mananga Bridge is a major piece of infrastructure in Metro Cebu. Because it crucially links the south and the north, its repair should have been made a priority by the government, especially by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Now that the contractor has missed the deadline, it is just fair that appropriate sanctions should be imposed for the project’s delay to send a strong message that the government really means business as far as the implementation of projects is concerned.