Tapaz hospital substandard?

By: Jomarie A. Billones 

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – The construction of the 3-year-old Tapaz District Hospital (TDH) is under a cloud due to allegations that substandard materials were used in the project.

Alleged defects in the TDH were discovered recently after outgoing Governor Antonio del Rosario inspected the hospital building few months after it became operational.

Dr. Jean Gloria, TDH medical chief, raised the alleged defects to the governor, particularly in Phase ll of the project.

Gloria said Phases I and II of the project were initiated during the administration of former governor Victor Tanco Sr. while Phase lll and IV were implemented in Del Rosario’s term.

More or less P16 million was spent on the project implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPHW).

Meanwhile, CY Construction, the contractor of the TDH project, said the building incurred minor defects, which it is willing to correct.

Engr. Renan Juanillo, CY project engineer, denied that substandard materials were used in the P16-million project.

He, however, admitted that the toilet bowl in the comfort rooms have yet to be placed.

“We can rectify the unfinished portion of the building under Phase ll,” Juanillo said, adding that they will immediately do the work.

Construction firm owner Cherry Yap said that she has some P900,000 variations or additional works and changes in the project, but due to lack of budget, she could no longer collect the amount.

“We are only human that sometimes we cannot implement the construction of the project perfectly,” Yap stressed.