Contractor laments payment delays over track oval repair

CEBU, Philippines — The contractor that repaired the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) track oval has completed the work in November 2024. Yet, it's been four months and no certificate of completion has been issued, contractor SBD Builders lamented.

The certificate of completion will be used as the basis in processing the payment for the completed project.

Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said that the track oval must first be assessed and accepted by the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) before a payment can be processed. This is a procedure to follow in all projects of the Cebu City Government.

In the case of the track oval, Garcia said the DEPW has suggested hiring a third-party consultant to assess and evaluate the work done to ensure it meets the required specifications.

Garcia said while the DEPW could perform the assessment themselves, a third-party consultant is still necessary to ensure the expertise is applied. He said in his recent conversation with DEPW Head Lowell Corminal, the latter mentioned he had already met with a third party consultant.

“So we are just awaiting nalang kay kanang third party kinahanglan man ng bayaran, diba? We are just awaiting nalang sa ilang proposal, kung unsa ilang scope of work ug pila ilang charge,” said Garcia.

He added that the assessment will be funded by the Cebu City Government and will be charged to the DEPW.

After the third party contractor completes their assessment, Garcia said it will submit a report on the contractor's performance. This report will serve as the basis for the payment to SBD Builders.

Garcia said that based on the visible assessment of the track oval’s surface, no damage has been observed despite several events being held at the CCSC.

However, he said that if the third-party consultant finds that the work does not meet the required specifications, the contractor may need to address the deficiencies.

In a separate interview with reporters, Shaun Doherty, the owner of SBD Builders, expressed that it has been four months since they've completed the repair of the track oval. He added the curing process should only last for seven days.

Doherty said a joint inspection was conducted on the last week of November, during which the City Government expressed satisfaction with the work done and assured him that it would issue a certificate of completion and a certificate of turnover.

Doherty said that his company completed the project before the Cebu City Olympics and the Sinulog cultural celebrations, which were primarily held at the CCSC.

“Kay makuyawan mi nga maguba unya before, maabtan mi, unya nisaad sila nga muhatag sila namo ana, nahuman nalang tung mga dagkong events, unya karon naa nasay mga dagkong stage nga gitukod,” said Doherty.

Doherty said they should not be held liable for damages caused by events held at the CCSC, as the track oval was not designed for such events, but rather for sports. He added that they have already documented the damages caused by the cultural events and are keeping track of them.

Doherty earlier said the company filed for an insurance claim for the damages at the track oval but was told it is not covered because the damages were attributed to the events held at the sports center.

“Mao ng kami, sige mi'g hangyo sa among COC, ayaw nami'g i-politika kay wala mi labot sa politika. Nanarbaho mi, kay mao nay trabaho namo,” said Doherty, in appealing for the release of the certificates of completion and turnover.

Doherty said his staff have worked 16 hours per day to complete the track oval repair, but only to be delayed in getting the certificates.

He said he has also been waiting for the third party assessment of their work. He, however, expressed skepticism about the current administration's intention in delaying the payment considering that SBD Builders won the bid during the previous administration.

Doherty also expressed frustration over the non-disclosure of the identity of the third party contractor that will assess repair work, which led him to question its integrity.

Should there be any further damages occur at the track oval, Doherty said, they will longer take the responsibility repairing it. — JG (FREEMAN)