ILOILO – The Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC) of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) in Region 6 inspected the P680-million newly-built but defective Ungka flyover in Barangay Ungka II, Pavia town on Dec. 15.
According to Marlon Jinon, chief of the Project Monitoring and Evaluation Division of NEDA-6, among the RPMC members who checked the Ungka flyover were representatives from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), engineers from NEDA-6, and Iloilo City officials headed by Councilor Ely Estante.
The visit aims to come up with findings and recommendations that RPMC members will present and discuss at the NEDA-6 high-level meeting on Dec. 19.
“Dapat ma-istoryahan gid naton kon ano matabu sa proyekto kay dapat ang kwarta nga ginagasto sang gobyerno makadto gid sa tawo,” Jinon said in an exclusive interview with DYRI RMN Iloilo.
Among those who will attend the meeting on Dec. 19 are NEDA-6 regional director Arecio A. Casing Jr., RDC-6 infrastructure committee chaired by Iloilo City mayor Jerry Treñas, and Iloilo governor Arthur Defensor Jr.
Also invited are Iloilo City’s lone district Congresswoman Julienne Baronda, 2nd District’s Congressman Michael Gorriceta, and officials from DPWH and DILG regional offices, among others.
As explained by Jinon, monitoring government-funded infrastructure projects is part of the RPMC members’ function, which includes evaluation and the formulation of recommendations on the implementation of development plans and programs in the region.
He, however, withheld the initial findings of the RPMC members from their Thursday visit.
THIRD-PARTY CONSULTING FIRM YET TO START PROBE
Meanwhile, DPWH-6 assistant regional director Jose Al V. Fruto disclosed that the third-party consulting firm hired by the DPWH central office has not yet started its investigation on the Ungka flyover.
Fruto, who was also with the RPMC members during their inspection, added that the consulting firm’s personnel had already arrived in Iloilo City this week but were still doing preparatory work.
“Nakakadto lang sila para sa preparatory works… kon ano ang obrahon up to what level ang engagement, kon ano ang expectation para ma-define nila kon diin sila ma-mobilize sang equipment,” Fruto said in an exclusive interview of DYRI RMN Iloilo.
He also cannot provide a timeline as to the firm’s investigation since it is the DPWH central office that is mainly communicating with the firm.
For Fruto, the firm will be conducting an in-depth investigation, especially since they are tasked with determining the cause of the vertical displacement in the piers of the flyover and to come up with recommendations for suitable engineering intervention./PN