Two drainage projects in Bacolod City funded by the Local Government Unit (LGU) are under investigation upon the order of the mayor, following President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s directive to have flood control projects reviewed.

The drainage projects are in the vicinity of Pope John Paul II Tower at the reclamation area in Purok Nangka, Barangay 3.

“Kahit inaayos na nila ang drainage going to reclamation, ganun pa rin… iba noon na marami ang labasan (ng tubig),” Elektra Tutor, a businesswoman, said.

Another resident, named "Jojo," said that the projects have been lying idle for a year already.

“Matagal na yan, mga one year na,” Jojo said.

The two drainage projects are handled by one contractor only. However, the name of the contractor has been withheld yet.

“If indeed mga projects na hindi nagco-comply, the city will terminate the projects. Nag-lapse na ang schedule, probably blacklist contractors or companies,” Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya said.

The LGU has created a Contract Termination Review Committee that will focus tightly on the procurement process and the state of the projects.

The review will determine the need to place a contractor on blacklist, or bar it from joining any bidding process of the LGU.

Meanwhile, the Bacolod City LGU and a garbage collection contractor carried out a case conference. Over P1 million in fines for contract violations will be deducted from the supposed payments of the LGU to the contractor based on the contract.

The review will also help determine whether the service of the garbage collector will be pursued, judging from the infractions committed.  

“Kung hindi mo ma-comply ang iyong contractual obligations, papa’no ka mag-continue? Nakakahiya. The amount involved is not a joke. It’s P303 million,” City Councilor Homer Bais, chairperson of the Committee on Environment and Ecology, pointed out.