Work delay threatens P34-m Claveria town hall project deal

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

THE Claveria town government is bent on canceling the contract it made with a construction company that bagged its controversial multimillion-peso town hall project over its work delays.

The project, worth some P34 million, was awarded to E.M. Paule Construction with Architect R.D. Gaula and Associates.

Claveria, Misamis Oriental Vice Mayor Meraluna Salvaleon-Abrogar said the town’s officials conducted a series of meetings for two weeks over the slow pace of the construction work at Zone 2, Barangay Poblacion.

Abrogar said, “Duha na semana nga gilingkuran sa mayor uban sa mga membro sa Sangguniang Bayan to discuss the possibility of cancellation of the contract after they failed to speed up the construction.”

During the final meeting, she said, Mayor Redentor Salvaleon decided to terminate the contract. The town council however wanted the contract termination to undergo “due process.”

Based on the Commission on Audit’s public notice, the new municipal hall project began on Jan. 25, 2015 and was supposed to have been completed this Jan. 16.

The target completion date was later moved to March 30 due to the need for some “corrections” like the filling up and the leveling of  slopes in the construction site by a sub-contractor.

Abrogar said the town government has called the attention of the main contractor so it could help the sub-contractor hasten the completion of the project.

“Misugot kami nga ma-extend ang completion bahala og ma-delay sa usa ka bulan kay sa madaut ang trabaho. Ang importante nga walay mogawas nga kuwarta kung wala sila’y agi. Karong semanaha among hulatan og kung dili pa gyud namo makita ang dakong agi sa maong trabaho then wala na gyud kami’y mahimo,” Abrogar said.