THE construction of the P2.5 billion Mandaue Government Center has been put on hold after the contractor, WT, failed to submit a complete detailed engineering design (DED), a crucial requirement for the project to continue.
According to City Administrator Gonzalo “Sally” Malig-on, the DED was due in January 2025, but only a conceptual design has been submitted.
Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano, who wants the project to proceed, has given WT Construction an additional week to comply.
“Mayor Ouano said in his earlier pronouncements that if possible, the Government Center should proceed because it is really needed. However, there were developments,” Malig-on said.
He said the engineering office recommended last Aug. 19, a two-week suspension because under the law, the procedure requires the contractor to submit a DED.
“Since the notice to proceed was in September, it should have been due by January. From the records, they still have not submitted or completed it,” Malig-on said.
According to him, upon assuming office in July, Ouano called for a meeting with WT Construction, along with City Hall’s engineering and planning departments, to discuss the project.
But despite these discussions, the contractor had still not produced the required documents, leading to the Aug. 19 recommendation for suspension.
“The mayor gave them one more week to submit the complete details, estimates, and design. After one week, if they still cannot, then Mayor Ouano said he might be compelled to adopt the engineering office’s recommendation to stop the project for two weeks,” Malig-on explained.
WT had submitted documents, but City engineers said what was turned in was only a conceptual design or a perspective, not the required detailed estimate and design.
“They submitted, but our engineering team reported that their submissions are not yet complete. There are still many questions. It is difficult to proceed with the work if it is not yet approved, technically there is still no approved program of work and estimates,” Malig-on said.
This will affect the timeline for completion.
“It is difficult to continue working when there is still no clear agreement on whether the detailed design and estimates are correct. What if later on the engineering office does not approve it, yet work has already been done? That is the danger,” he said. / ABC