ILOILO City – What is the result of the geotechnical investigation done on the defective P680-million Ungka flyover in Barangay Ungka 2, Pavia, Iloilo? The House Committee on Public Works and Highways wants to know.
With the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6 office and central office failing to produce it before the committee yesterday, another inquiry will be held, said Surigao del Sur 1st District’s Rep. Romeo Momo, the committee chairman.
He also wanted more resource persons to show up, including the flyover contractor, International Builders Corporation (IBC).
Yesterday’s inquiry was held at the Conference Rooms 7 and 8 of the Speaker Ramon V. Mitra Building in the House of Representatives Complex, Quezon City.
Momo was clearly not satisfied with the responses of DPWH Region 6 assistant director Jose Al Fruto who spoke mainly for the department.
“Definitely we will conduct another meeting; we will require all concerned to be present so we will know if there are errors and who committed them,” said Momo.
The Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan bloc, composed of Kabataan party-list’s Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel, Gabriela Women’s Rep. Arlene D. Brosas and Act Teachers’ Rep. France L. Castro filed House Resolution Number 721 in the Lower House on Jan. 26, proposing a legislative inquiry on the controversial Ungka flyover and the delayed construction of the P560-million Aganan flyover, also located in Pavia town.
Fruto told the committee that DPWH Region 6 contracted the Metro Manila-based Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultants to conduct the geotechnical investigation for P13,480,880. But he could not quite convince the committee why the regional office did not bother to secure a copy of its own of the results. He only said the results were forwarded to the central office’s Bureau of Design (BOD) right after the regional office received it on June 19, 2023.
“The report should be forwarded to you, not to the central office, because you are the one paying them. How can you pay them if they will not submit the result? Nagtataka ako,” said Momo.
When pressed by Iloilo 4th District’s Rep. Ferjenel Biron if nondisclosure was a DPWH policy, Fruto replied, “That is not the policy of the department, not to disclose the documents.”
Iloilo 3rd District’s Cong. Lorenz Defensor followed through, asking if Fruto had seen or read the report.
Fruto said he had not personally seen the report and only had an idea of it when Engr. Adam Abinales, managing partner of Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultants, presented three recommended schemes for the Ungka flyover’s repair.
In May 2023, during the Infrastructure Development Committee meeting of the Regional Development Council Region 6 chaired by Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas, Abinales presented three recommended rectifications.
Fruto also disclosed that the DPWH central office has yet to decide on its next move.
Here are the three schemes presented by Abinales:
* 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.
Momo said Engr. Abinales would be invited to the next inquiry together with representatives from DPWH central office, particularly its BOD.
The committee also wanted the project contractor, International Builders Corporation, present in the next inquiry that is yet to be scheduled.
DPWH’s new Region 6 director Sonny Boy Oropel was also present during the proceedings but let Fruto do all the talking.
Oropel was appointed to DPWH Region 6 only this first week of August.
The committee would also summon former DPWH Region 6 directors, Engr. Tiburcio Canlas and Engr. Leah Delfinado.
Also present at the inquiry yesterday were USWAG Ilonggo party-list’s Rep. James “Jojo” Ang, Iloilo City Lone District’s Cong. Julienne Baronda, 2nd District’s Cong. Michael Gorriceta, and Manuel.
Manuel also requested for the committee to have the next inquiry in Iloilo City for the DPWH officials to feel the urgency of fixing the Ungka flyover./PN
