BACOLOD City – Around P1.1 million worth of cement was discovered wasted and unusable in two warehouses of the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) following a surprise inspection led by Mayor Greg Gasataya on Saturday, September 6.
The inspection covered the CEO warehouses located within the Bacolod City College (BCC) compound in Barangay Taculing and another in Barangay Alijis. Officials found about 4,686 bags of cement in Taculing and another 100 in Alijis that had hardened and solidified over time, rendering them unusable. Several department heads joined the inspection.
Mayor Gasataya expressed disappointment over the discovery, noting that the wasted construction materials could have been used for classrooms, barangay infrastructure, and other vital projects. He ordered the CEO to submit an explanation and warned that accountability measures will follow.
“There’s something that needs to be done. This might be painful and there will be resistance, but we will do something out-of-the-box. If this means filing cases, we will do so,” the mayor said.
The findings came after a newly formed Inventory Team, created by the mayor to audit government assets, discovered the hardened cement intended for city projects. A full report is expected within three days to determine liability.
CEO Officer-in-Charge Engr. Loben Ceballos admitted that some cement bags had been in storage for years, dating back to when supplies were transferred from the old storage area during the construction of the BCC complex. He said the hardened cement had been used as bedding for newer stocks but the sheer volume led to wastage.
To prevent similar incidents, the city government has begun building a P67-million warehouse in the Bredco area, expected to be completed within the year. Ceballos also stressed the need for stricter standards in supply and asset management.
Aside from the cement warehouses, Mayor Gasataya also inspected the CEO and General Services Office warehouses in the City Agriculture Office compound in Barangay Alijis. He further noted that the Midway Facility — once a COVID-19 isolation center and now used as temporary storage for city offices — requires immediate repairs and cleanup./PN
