Zambo rehab contractors banned to bid for other gov’t projects

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson admitted that the rehabilitation program for Zamboanga City had long been delayed and that they had banned private contractors from joining government projects until pending works are complete.

Singson, tasked by President Benigno Aquino III to oversee the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the devastated villages, issued the order as he personally made ocular inspection of housing projects in this city.

He said he will not allow at least four erring construction firms to participate in any bidding of government programs unless the housing projects are complete.

Singson’s presence in this city was prompted by the Local Interagency Committee (LIAC) which called to suspend the construction of the housing units citing irregularities in the project such as the use of substandard materials.

Singson vowed to run after contractors who perform way below their targets in the different housing projects under the Zamboanga City Roadmap to Recovery and Reconstruction (Z3R).

“To the contractors, I made it clear that those beyond 15 percent, specially that one company which had four contracts and three were more than 60 percent (completion), we will not allow them to join in our bidding in our new projects,” Singson said.

Zamboanga City Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar, who joined Singson in the inspection, said that 2,000 out of 6,000-units target had been completed.

She said Aquino had given 18 months only to complete the project which commenced in 2013.