CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival has given contractors working on government infrastructure and flood-control projects a seven-day ultimatum to submit new undertakings.
This order is a direct move to enforce greater accountability and address a long-standing issue of unfinished and delayed projects across the city. The directive covers a wide range of works, from road repairs to flood-control systems, regardless of whether they are overseen by the Department of Public Works and Highways or the Department of Engineering and Public Works.
The undertakings are not just a formality; they require contractors to provide specific, actionable details. They must clearly outline the scope and current status of each project, including its exact location and a new, accelerated timeline.
Contractors are also now required to take immediate steps to mitigate public inconvenience. This includes setting up clear signages, deploying traffic personnel with a minimum of five flagmen per kilometer and assigning street cleaning crews to manage construction debris.
According to Archival, these are “very basic requirements” that none of the contractors have been complying with, and the City will no longer tolerate excuses. Contractors who fail to submit the documents within the deadline will face notices or be blacklisted if uncooperative.
Why it matters
The City’s new policy is a significant step toward addressing a problem that has caused daily frustration for thousands of residents. For years, half-finished infrastructure projects have been a major source of public complaints, leading to persistent traffic congestion, safety hazards and disruptions in key areas like Barangays Apas and Banilad.
These delays have not only inconvenienced commuters but have also left the city vulnerable to flooding during heavy rains, as flood-control projects remain incomplete.
This move marks a shift in the City’s approach from passive oversight to active enforcement. Archival is not introducing a new set of penalties but is instead demanding that existing contractual obligations be met.
By strictly enforcing the penalty clause, a five percent daily charge on a portion of the project cost for every day of delay, the City is signaling that the era of chronic non-compliance is over. This approach is intended to restore public confidence in the City’s ability to manage its infrastructure and ensure that tax money is translated into tangible, completed projects that benefit residents.
The focus is no longer on simply starting a project but on ensuring it is finished properly and on time.
The bigger picture
Cebu City’s challenges with infrastructure project delays are a microcosm of a larger, systemic issue found in many rapidly developing urban centers. In many places, the process of planning and executing large-scale public works is often plagued by bureaucratic red tape, logistical hurdles and a lack of continuous monitoring.
Archival himself admitted that the absence of consistent oversight has been a primary cause of these failures, creating loopholes that allow contractors to leave projects unfinished for years. A prime example is a bridge repair in Ayala Heights in Barangay Sirao, which has been stalled for seven years due to faulty soil testing and redesigns.
To address this root cause, the City is not just focusing on penalties; it is building a new system for accountability. The announced Project Monitoring Office, to be established through an executive order, is a critical component of this strategy.
This dedicated office will be responsible for tracking projects in real time, inspecting compliance, and directly reporting delays to the mayor’s office.
This shift from fragmented oversight to a centralized, proactive system is designed to prevent future delays before they become long-term problems.
The City is also exploring innovative, though smaller-scale, solutions to its resource constraints, such as using shredded PET bottles as a component in asphalt to make road repairs more sustainable and cost-effective.
What to watch
The coming weeks will be a crucial test of the City’s new policy. The seven-day deadline for contractor undertakings is the first step, but the real challenge will be the consistent enforcement of the rules and the operational effectiveness of the new Project Monitoring Office.
Will contractors respond by accelerating their work, or will they challenge the new scrutiny? The success of this initiative will be measured not by the number of undertakings submitted but by a visible reduction in traffic congestion and an increase in completed projects on the ground.
The outcome could serve as a model for other local governments facing similar infrastructure challenges, demonstrating how a commitment to strict accountability and systematic monitoring can finally turn plans into results. / CAV