Let’s go some fishing…? 40-M Commercial Port 60-70% completed; Contractor needs another 5-M additional funding to finished the project

By PJTremedal, BNDMisOC/CIB-OCM

San Vicente Bajo, Oroquieta City- In a report made by the City Engineer’s Office to the office of the City Mayor and indorsed to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for appropriate action, the 40-M Commercial Port is now 60-70 percent completed.

However, with the indorsed letter from the City Mayor for a response of the report, the Sangguniang Panlungsod presided by Hon. Vincent Guantero for the City vice Mayor is on official business decided to call the attention of Grace Contractor and other personalities where a recommendation for an additional 5-Million is now in question.

In the said report, City Engineer Napoleon Neri, Sr. recommended as it is concluded that a 5-Million additional funding is requested by the Contractor to finish the project as it is nearing its date of completion, due to reasons that because of the re-designing of the reinforce concrete piles they need the said amount to recover the amount in re-designing the reinforced concrete piles.

It may be recalled that the rehabilitation of the San Vicente Commercial Port is under the built and transfer scheme as embedded in R.A. 6957 as amended by R.A. 7718 during the term of former City Mayor Jorge T. Almonte now representing the 1^st District of Misamis Occidental in the House of Congress.

The project contractor, Grace Construction Corporation wins the bidding and for the cost of the rehabilitation as to the built and transfer scheme, the project will be paid 10-million a year of completion for four (4) years to the amount of 40-Million.

The project started last January 21, 2007 and to be completed on January 22, 2009, to be exact, 730 calendar days of construction, but with some reason beyond control, the local government of the city extended its completion on December 31, 2010.

Accordingly as what the City Engineers Report sighted, that in its plan of work, 17 linear meters is the measurement of the reinforced concrete piles to be used in the foundation of the port, however, the Contractor re-design the measurement of the reinforced concrete piles as it go deeper in the seabed.

Grace Contractor Corporation find it deep so it begun re-designing the reinforced concrete piles to 24 linear meters in the midway of the port and change it again as it nears the end of the port to 30 linear meters long, with due consideration and importance, the date of completion is extended to December 31, 2010.

Some other engineering problems came out like the coconut tree needed in the filing of the piles was delayed because of the coconut tree resources is hard to find especially in its specific height, others were the weather condition that make it more problematic.

In the recent SP regular session, Mr. Philip Tan, Grace Construction Liaison Officer said that the 5-M additional funding requested is to be used for the RCF and the total lenght of the project at 99 meters will be finished, however, if this will not be approved then the project will be finished in its contract schedule but this will only be at 90 meters long.

With the letter request for the additional funding to City Mayor Jason P. Almonte, as the new administration, has to think it over for budget consideration and the truthfulness of Grace Contraction Corporation in its schedule of completion.

In the recent regular session, the SP as it was indorse by the Office of the City Mayor to make necessary actions, passed a resolution into the effect that Grace Construction Corporation and other personalities must attend the next session for further study of the additional funding request and the real status of the San Vicente Bajo Commercial Port.

However, insiders said that the new administration wants the project to be completed on or before December 31, 2010 as it is scheduled in the contract. With the requested 5-million additional funding they said” lets cross the bridge when we are there”.