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MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/04 May) – The provincial board of Bukidnon passed on Wednesday two resolutions “vehemently opposing” the awarding by the Department of Public Works and Highway regional office of two road repair projects to a contractor with a “very poor performance.”
H.S. Oaminal Construction and General Merchandise has been awarded a total of P164 million for the rehabilitation of the Bukidnon-Davao (Buda) road this year.
The board cited the alleged delay by the firm in doing repair works along the Patpat-Dalwangan portion of the national highway in Malaybalay.
The board passed two resolutions, one for a P100-million project and another for a P64-million project.
Ongoing road repairs from Cagayan de Oro City to Bukidnon have prolonged travel time. Bus rides from Malaybalay to Cagayan de Oro normally take 2½ hours. The repairs however have delayed travel between the two cities by at least an hour.
The board said in the resolution that they filed it based on the “past experience” of the province.
It noted that DPWH-10 has awarded projects to the firm even if the public has complained against its performance.
In a letter to the provincial board on Wednesday, DPWH-10 said H.S. Oaminal was awarded the projects because it offered the lowest bid.
But Efren A. Berba, DPWH-10 assistant regional director and head of their Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), said that under Republic Act 9184, projects that are already awarded to a firm may still be subjected to post-evaluation.
MindaNews tried to reach the management of H. S. Oaminal through the contact details posted on its website, but they did not take the calls nor replied to emails for comments. (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)