City Hall mum on PHP800,000 waiting shed in Molo district

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The city government of Iloilo has yet to issue a statement on the controversial waiting shed in Barangay Katilingban, Molo, which cost PHP 798,525.47 and has been criticized as overpriced.

Based on the project billboard, the infrastructure was built by Abelarde Builders and Supply in 25 calendar days under the supervision of the Iloilo City Engineering Office.

However, the project signage failed to include the project’s start and completion dates as well as its funding source — a violation of Commission on Audit Circular No. 2013-004, which requires the disclosure of essential information for public monitoring and accountability.

Specifically, the structure consists of four rectangular steel columns.

The roof appears to be made of polycarbonate sheets, and beneath the polycarbonate are welded wire mesh panels attached to steel beams.

The flooring is made of interlocking concrete pavers, laid evenly and slightly elevated from the surrounding ground for drainage.

Reporters have requested clarification from the Iloilo City Engineering Office regarding the project’s cost and specifications, but were referred to Joy Fantilaga, spokesperson for Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu.

Fantilaga has yet to provide a statement despite follow-ups from reporters through official channels.

OVERPRICED? 

For comparison, a detailed cost breakdown from Floridablanca, Pampanga, shows a complete waiting shed construction project for just PHP 80,000, including materials (PHP 60,500) and labor (PHP 19,500) for a 13-day construction period.

This project includes roof paint, latex paint, tubular materials, C-purlins, floor tiles, tile grout, plywood, and skilled labor.

A waiting shed project in Davao del Sur showed a cost of PHP 250,000 for a complete waiting shed unit with comfort room facilities, still three times cheaper than the Iloilo structure.

The Municipality of Pinamungajan, Cebu, allocated PHP 130,410 for the improvement of a waiting shed in Barangay Poblacion, which included the removal of existing damaged roofing, new roofing installation (22.91 square meters), painting, and steel cover work.

In Leyte, Baybay City allocated PHP 400,000 for barangay waiting shed construction in Higuloan and PHP 450,000 for the construction/improvement of waiting sheds in Caridad.

The Land Registration Authority’s waiting area construction project in its main office in Quezon City was budgeted at PHP 732,265.05 and has a construction period of 120 working days. It is still PHP 66,260 less than the waiting shed in Molo.

Barangay Captain Juliet Ardenio, in an interview with Aksyon Radyo Iloilo, clarified that the project did not originate from her administration and was likely implemented under the term of the previous barangay captain.

“If that was my project, I would rather allocate it for the drainage system […] But since it was given by the government, I will accept it,” she said.

Ardenio added that while the City Engineering Office presented the project to her, she was not informed about the budget and only learned of the cost after its completion.

Despite this, Ardenio recognized the usefulness of the waiting shed since it stands in front of the Molo District Health Center, where residents often wait for check-ups or medical services.