City flags contractor

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) flagged a contractor’s backfilling works in Barangay Tejero for being allegedly illegal or carried out without the necessary permits.

This CCENRO report was transmitted to the City Council, which in turn scheduled the matter for discussion at the regular session this Tuesday.

The CCENRO first received an endorsement letter from the Office of the Building Official (OBO) on July 14, citing a relayed complaint against allegedly illegal backfilling activities at M.J. Cuenco Avenue, in Tejero.

A day after receiving the letter from OBO, CCENRO conducted a site inspection and investigation into the issue.

During inspection time, CCENRO personnel reported that security men at the site barred them from entry to the area, but they saw a backhoe operating there, a stockpile of excavated soil, and fresh mud marks of the wheels of trucks entering and exiting the site.

The security men, however, admitted to reporters that the dumping of excavated soil had been done at the site.

This prompted the CCENRO personnel to proceed to the office of the contractor, J. Velez Development Corporation (JVDC), to verify the details of the backfilling.

JVDC project manager told the CCENRO team that there was dumping at the site excavated soil from road works in Ayala Center Cebu.

The manager added that the Tejero site was only used as a temporary stockyard and that the hauler would take the dumped soil back. The manager clarified that the hauler of the excavated soil is a contractor currently implementing road works at the Ayala Center site.

The CCENRO team went to see the road works at a site along Bohol Avenue in Ayala Center Cebu, where they inquired from the foreman there about the backfilling activities.

The CCENRO quoted the foreman’s words that there has been dumping at the Tejero site of soil excavated from the road works conducted by another contractor, CK Builders. The foreman added that the JVDC site was only a temporary stockyard for the excavated soil, which will be taken back to the Ayala site.

The contentious issue, however, was that the contractors, as CCENRO had discovered, were not able to present a special hauling permit, which must be issued by the Cebu City Mining Regulatory Board (CCMRB).

CCENRO, in their reported findings, deemed the transport and disposal of excavated soil conducted by CK Builders at JVDC's site in Tejero as illegal, because it violates the provisions of City Ordinance No. 2115, or the Cebu City Mining Ordinance.

“Conducting such activities requires a permit, specifically, Special Hauling Permit,” the CCENRO said.

Regarding the backfilling activities, CCENRO emphasized that the OBO must monitor this matter because backfilling works must also ensure the site is stable and suitable for construction to prevent future complications, such as soil settlement or instability that could affect the building foundation.

After the August 15 investigation, CCENRO issued several recommendations: Require JVDC to stop the dumping of excavated soil and debris in Tejero until the required hauling permit is issued and presented; CK Builders must also apply for special hauling permit at CCENRO, and attend a clarificatory conference also at CCENRO.

CCENRO further requests the Office of the City Mayor to reactivate the Cebu City Mining Regulatory Board (CCMRB), and ask Barangay Tejero LGU to monitor activities at the project site. (CEBU NEWS)