Pagadian City sub-contractors file complain against NHA housing project developer

By Hirohito D. Cadion

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Feb. 14 (PNA) -- Works on the P360-million housing project for soldiers and policemen in this city have been suspended as the sub-contractors have filed complaints of alleged malpractices and non-payments against the developer before the office of Vice President Jejomar Binay, the housing czar.

A copy of the complaint was also furnished to the National Housing Authority (NHA) General Manager Chito Cruz and NHA Department Manager Rosemarie Sioting since the affected housing projects are funded by the agency.

Vicenzo Cagampang, spokesman of the 14 sub-contractors, said Friday they decided to file the complaint since the Laurasia Realty Corporation, the project developer, has been remiss in its obligation to pay them for the works they accomplished.

The Laurasia Realty Corporation is the developer of the P360-million NHA housing projects for the soldiers and police in Barangay Bogo, this city.

“We were hired by the project manager and administrator of the company because we were made to understand that they are running out of time to finish the 1,500 housing units in barely two months,” Cagampang said.

He added that they were promised to be paid on time “but sad to say they were only good up to the second billing.”

He narrated said they have waited in vain the whole day at a local bank for the company to make on-line deposit to “our bank accounts” for the third billing and even requested to somehow accommodate them to withdraw beyond banking hours because the next day was Saturday and it was a payday for the workers.

“To our disgust, we waited in vain and went home with discouragement. We were so worried on how we could face our hundreds of workers and make them understand why we cannot give their entire salaries,” he added.

He said the same situation of delayed payments dragged on for several weeks and some of them were not even paid to date.

“We cannot understand why some us were paid only little percentage of (20 percent, 30 percent and 50 percent) of the amount we billed while the others did not receive even a single centavo up to the present,” he added.

He said the worse thing is that they were allegedly told by the developer not to follow the agreed specifications of materials instead to follow the new design “introduced to us.”

Those who are not following the order were not provided with construction materials, the reason they decided to stop implementing the projects and filed complain, according to Cagampang.

The local management of Laurasia headed by Art Ruaza refused to answer the accusations of the sub-contractors, saying he just assumed in the position recently to lead the implementation of the project.

Aside from that, Ruaza said he was informed by the national management not to answer anything concerning the issue.

Meanwhile, Cagampang, on behalf of the sub-contractors, suggested to NHA to employ the services of the local construction firms should there be housing projects to be implemented in the future in the provinces. (PNA)
LAP/TPGJR/HIROHITO D. CADION/EBP