ILOILO City – Kabataan party-list’s Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel will look into the status of House Resolution No. 721, or the proposed legislative inquiry in the House of Representatives, on the controversial P680-million Ungka flyover and the delayed construction of the P560-million Aganan flyover in Pavia, Iloilo.
After the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on July 24, or when regular sessions at the House of Representatives resume, Manuel said it is his first agenda to check the status of the House resolution at the office of Surigao del Sur 1st District’s Rep. Romeo Momo, chair of the Committee on Public Works and Highways.
“Nagahulat-hulat kita nga tani ma-schedule-an na kon san-o na ina kay kada adlaw ang naga-antus ang mga Ilonggo. Biskan kita kon mag-agi sa area nga ina daw nasuboan kita, indi lang sa personal nga experience kundi sa mga naga-istar man dira kag sa adlaw-adlaw man nga nagalabay,” Manuel said in an interview with Panay News yesterday afternoon.
He said it would be better if an inquiry will be scheduled as soon as possible and held in Iloilo City for other solons to see the actual situation of the Ungka and Aganan flyovers.
The legislative inquiry into the Ungka flyover aims to determine who is responsible for the failed construction of the flyover.
“Indi enough nga ma-proceed lang kita sa pag-discuss sang pag-repair kag pila ang gastuhon sa repair. Kinahanglan masabat ang pamangkot nga sin-o ang dapat mangin accountable sa failed nga pag-construct sang Ungka flyover,” added Manuel.
The Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan bloc, composed of Manuel, Gabriela Women’s Rep. Arlene D. Brosas and Act Teachers’ Rep. France L. Castro, filed a house resolution in the Lower House on Jan. 26.
As of this writing, there have been no movements in the proposed inquiry.
Last month, 2nd District’s Cong. Michael Gorriceta said Momo has committed that the committee will investigate the Ungka flyover.
“Nag-commit sa akon si chairperson Romeo Momo nga ma-conduct gid sila, ma-conduct ang Congress sang congressional inquiry kag gina-ayu ko man gani kung mahimu dira sa Iloilo ang venue para damo makapamangkot kag makapartisipar sang inquiry,” said Gorriceta.
Gorriceta, together with 3rd District’s Cong. Lorenz Defensor, was co-authors of House Resolution No. 721.
On Sept. 2022, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) closed the Ungka flyover after vertical displacement was observed in piers 4, 5, and 6 (if counting the posts from Christ the King Memorial Park).
On March 2023, Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultants, based in Metro Manila, was hired by the DPWH for P13,480,880 to conduct a geotechnical investigation on the displacement.
Geotechnical investigation, according to trenchlesspedia.com, implies the use of different methods to determine the physical properties of soil and rock below the surface of the earth at a proposed installation site. It helps engineers decide the type of tools required to dig through the site in the most economical manner. It also assesses the potential environmental impact that a project may have on a particular area.
Geotechnical investigation is an essential step in any trenchless operation because knowledge of subsurface conditions is vital to a successful project.
On May 2023, Engr. Adam Abinales, managing partner of Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultants, recommended three schemes for the repair:
* Scheme 1: Provide additional bored piles.
Pros – Group pile capacity will significantly increase to sustain the required demand capacity at the pier base.
Cons – To drive the additional bored piles, affected existing prestressed concrete (PSC) girders on coping beams will be removed and replaced, if necessary, since large equipment will be used for drilling and driving bored piles.
* Scheme 2: Provide a portal frame to support the existing PSC girders.
Cons – To drive the new bored piles to construct and support the portal frame, right-of-way acquisition will be a great challenge; the portal frame will ignore the effect of the existing piers to support the PSC girders already installed.
* Scheme 3: Underpinning the existing piers and abutments, including existing bored piles, by intense jet grouting.
Pros – Underpinning will only require at least three meters of vertical clearance; therefore, existing PSC girders may not need to be removed and replaced.
Cons – Quantities of staged grouting will depend on the soil condition and stratum to develop the required pile capacity to sustain the demand load capacity at each pier/abutment. This scheme should be handled by the specialty contractor for intensive jet grouting, which is a proprietary specialty work. Verification is required by performing a static load test of the jet grouting.
Abinales recommended Scheme 1, or additional bored piles, as more feasible.
However, it needed at least P250 million to be implemented.
He also gave a 10-month timeline to complete the recommended rectifications./PN
