NHA denies ‘substandard’ housing units for Yolanda victims, admits to construction defects

The National Housing Authority (NHA) on Tuesday denied claims that the permanent housing units being created for victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda were below standard, but admitted finding structural defects in them.

During a briefing on Tuesday, Grace Guevarra, an engineer from the NHA, clarified the difference between substandard and construction defects, and said some of the units suffered from the latter.

"Construction defects and substandard are two different things. In every construction, lalo na yung ito masyadong marami, it's mass housing, hindi natin maiiwasan na di magkaroon ng mga problema sa construction. And that is why we call it construction defect. Hindi po natin maiiwasan," she said.

"Kasi pag sinabi nating substandard hindi siya nag-follow dun sa approved plans. Hindi naman natin ina-allow yun kasi pag nakita natin yun cinocorrect natin," she added.

The accusations of substandard construction came from the congressional inquiry on the Yolanda housing program, where it was revealed that J.C. Tayag Builders, Inc., an authorized subcontractor of the NHA, allegedly used substandard materials in creating the housing units.

The steel bars supposedly fell short of the 16-millimeter NHA specification.

The contractor may face plunder and estafa complaints over the allegedly anomalous construction of the housing units. NHA officials may be held liable for gross negligence.

The NHA said that J.C. Tayag Builders, Inc. may no longer bid for any more housing projects, and that they will not pay for their construction until the error gets corrected.

"Si J.C. Tayag hindi na siya makaka-bid. Meron lang isa doon na ginamitan niya ng fake... pero yun ay hindi natin binayaran, pinapatanggal natin yun," Guevarra said.

"Ang sabi ng developer kaya naman hindi niya tinatanggal yung 8 mm. na reinforcement na hollowblock na yun dahil yun yung pruweba niya na di bayaran yung gumawa," she added.

Juanito Tayag has since denied accusations that he used substandard materials. — MDM, GMA News