5%-per-day fine on contractors with delayed projects in Cebu City up

The Local Government Unit (LGU) of Cebu City will impose a fine of five percent per day based on the total contract price of an infrastructure project deemed delayed, or unfinished.

Mayor Nestor Archival cited the serious inconveniences that unfinished projects have posed to communities over the previous months or, worse, years. 

Archival met contractors with projects in Cebu City on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, along with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Cebu City Engineering Office. 

The mayor expressed his dismay over apparent procrastination in the delivery of infrastructure projects. 

To ensure that contractors will deliver the projects on or before the set target date of completion, he directed them to present a written commitment that projects will be delivered on time. 

Failure to abide by the written commitment will be fined five percent per day of the total contract price. 

In the undertaking, contractors themselves will affix their signature and submit their commitment to the LGU. 

Among conditions that the LGU requested are providing clear and accurate information on the project such as the dates of commencement of works and target date of completion, that for every kilometer there will be five traffic enforcers trained by the Cebu City Transportation Office who will manage traffic flow, and one person in-charge for the cleanup.

Among the projects that the mayor inspected, for apparent frustration over habitual delays, is a flood mitigation project in Barangay Tisa, found to be a project of the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW), and other road repair and construction projects. 

Further, Archival warned he would place on blacklist all contractors who continue to avoid cooperation with the City Government, including no-shows during meetings summoned by the LGU.

“We need to complete as early as possible kung pwede ang inyong kontrata 100 days, 50 days atong humanon,” Archival said.

The LGU’s action to expedite contractors' works on projects long overdue has the support of DPWH Cebu City Engineering Office, led by District Engr. Manolo Madronio.

Mayor scolds project engineer 

Moreover, Archival admonished a project engineer for apparent delayed works at Kilometer 18 of the Cebu Transcentral Highway.

Archival described the road in the area to be prone to accidents and should have been made most convenient to motorists and pedestrians. 

Archival was not able to hold back from chastising the project engineer of the road construction in Sitio Pung-ol, Barangay Malubog during the meeting. 

The project started works in 2022. However, as of this writing, the project remains unfinished. One of the reasons cited for the delay is the condition of the soil in the area said to be prone to erosion.

In fact, because of the constant erosion, a suspension bridge was mulled supposedly to provide a long-term solution to the problem.

Madronio said that January 2026 is eyed completion of the project’s Phase 4.

However, the said schedule is not fixed, depending on the condition of the soil.

The three phases were completed by the first contractor with an allocation of over P60 million.  For the second contractor, the fourth phase is worth P70 million.

It is estimated that works are yet at 40 percent completed, according to DPWH.

Archival, an engineer by profession, ordered the asphalting of the diversion road to at least address reports of road mishaps in the area blamed on the yet unfinished roadworks.

The DPWH Cebu City District Engineering Office vowed to facilitate urgent asphalting. — GMA Regional TV