The National Housing Authority (NHA) on Tuesday said it will rebid the P800-million contract with JC Tayag, the main contractor of the government’s Yolanda housing project in Eastern Samar.
During the joint hearing of the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development and House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, NHA Assistant General Manager Froilan Kampitan said the rebidding of the contract is necessary to fast-track the implementation of the Yolanda housing projects, which suffered substandard and snail-paced construction.
“We just need to rebid it to a new contractor. We are trying to locate some properties already that are available [under the contract of JC Tayag Builders Inc.],” Kampitan told lawmakers.
According to Kampitan, the agency will be issuing a notice of termination to JC Tayag Builders Inc.
Meanwhile, Tayag, in the same hearing, denied that substandard materials were used in the housing projects, alleging it was a possible “sabotage”.
Tayag was accused by subcontractor Camilo Salazar that he used substandard steel and bars for the construction of 2,000 housing units for Yolanda victims in Balangiga, Hernani and Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
Salazar alleged that Tayag used 8-millimeter steel rods in the construction instead of the required specification of 10 millimeters.
Earlier, the housing committee, chaired by Rep. Alfredo B. Benitez of Negros Occidental, validated in its inspection that substandard materials were used in the construction of housing units in Eastern Samar for victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda.
Benitez said his panel’s inspection team uncovered that the size of the reinforcing steel bars averaged at 8 millimeters, while it also discovered that Tayag also used undersized bars of 12 millimeters, which is below the requirement of 16 millimeters.
Benitez said perjury, syndicated estafa and plunder cases may be filed against Tayag, while officials of the NHA may be held liable for the delayed implementation of the projects.
For his part, Rep. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar, who filed the resolution seeking to investigate the slow implementation of Yolanda housing projects, said years after Yolanda, the people have anxiously observed the snail-paced implementation of the resettlement projects for the victims, as well as those living in danger zones.
“Procurement policies, land acquisition issues and the many permits and clearances needed to start certain projects have been cited as among the primary reasons that slow down the implementation of the resettlement projects,” Evardone added.