Probe on city’s ‘overpriced’ projects urged

By Cris Diaz

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Aug. 28 (PNA) -- A city councilor is calling for the conduct of a probe on the reported overpriced construction of eight public school buildings in Cagayan De Oro City.

City Councilor Roger Abaday, a member of the administration’s minority bloc, on Thursday insisted that an investigation should be made to determine whether the construction of the city government’s school projects is above board.

“Kinahanglan imbistigahon kini nga mga proyekto para mahibaw-an kung insaktoba ang comparative cost analysis,” (An investigation of this project should be done to find if the comparative cost analysis is correct), Abaday said.

He said that an authorized agency should look into the projects and conduct a thorough investigation – in the interest of the public.

An incensed Abaday made the reaction after the City Council’s Committee on Education reported the comparative discrepancies of the construction cost of public school buildings of the city government compared to other government agencies.

City Councilor Adrian Barba, Chair of the Committee on Education, has expressed the suspicion that “somebody must have gained” from the overpriced school building projects of the city government.

In a special report during the City Council regular session, Barba presented his observation about the difference in the unit cost of classrooms in public schools in the eight barangays here.

He said that the LGU-CDO built a one-storey, eight-classroom building at the Dansolihon National High School with a contract amounting to P7,197,202.94 at the cost of P899,650.37 per classroom.

At the Tuburan National High School, the one storey, six-classroom building costs P5,488,839 or P914,806.67 per classroom while the Tumpagon National High School’s one-storey, six-classroom building also costs P5,488,839 or at P914,806.67 per classroom - both implemented by the city government.

Barba said that the comparative costs of the DepEd-implemented school building projects are: a one-storey three classroom building at the Lumbia National High School has a contract amount of P1,511,134.53 at P503,711 per classroom; Bonbon National High School, P1,222, 081.46 at P611,040 per classroom and Patag Elementary School, P1,087,029 at P543,514 per classroom.

He said that the DPWH-implemented projects are: a one storey-two classroom building at the Mambuaya National High School, P1,078,160 at P539,080 per classroom and the Iponan National High School, P2,684,678 at P536,935 per classroom.

According to Barba, the comparative and derivative average of percentage among the projects showed a difference of 64.60 percent between the city-implemented classrooms and the DepEd and a 69.10 percent difference between the city and the DPWH-implemented classrooms.

Barba said that, like the rest of the members of the local august body, he will welcome any development projects. “The costs of these school projects, however, are questionable,” he said. (PNA)
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