CITING “lapses” and poor contractor performance, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Cebu City District Engineering Office has pledged to complete the delayed Transcentral Highway project near Barangay Malubog by the first quarter of 2026.
In a letter dated Oct. 15, 2025 to the Cebu City Council, the DPWH “sincerely acknowledges and deeply regrets the delays.” The agency cited the “unsatisfactory performance” of the original contractor, Mortar Masters and Concrete Builders, leading to its contract termination at the end of 2024. The project, involving 370 linear meters of pavement reconstruction, is critical to addressing a 2020 road collapse that has long hampered mobility between Cebu City and its upland barangays.
The project began with a Notice to Proceed in December 2021, but Typhoon Odette immediately forced demobilization. Although work resumed in late 2022, progress was sluggish. After noting the “slow pace” in July 2023, the DPWH issued a show cause order on Sept. 1, 2024.
While Mortar Masters cited financial woes, the DPWH denied delayed payments, claiming poor performance led to withheld disbursements. Termination was finalized by year-end, and the remaining work was awarded to WTG Construction. The agency has implemented interim measures, including asphalt overlay and safety barriers, to ease traffic.
Mayor Nestor Archival is demanding accountability, stating the city cannot tolerate indefinite project delays. He recently required DPWH contractors to submit letters of undertaking with “defined and binding” deadlines before securing permits, noting some contractors “got scared because they couldn’t deliver at the time they promised.”
DPWH Cebu City District Engineer Manolo Madronio signed the letter, assuring the public of stricter monitoring. Madronio stated: “We sincerely acknowledge and deeply regret the delays that have occurred in the implementation of this project, which were in part due to lapses on our end.” The agency committed to taking corrective actions and thanked the City Government for its vigilance. / CAV