‘YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFT’: Ungka Flyover contractor secures Phase 2 rectification

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

International Builders Corporation (IBC), a Pavia, Iloilo-based construction firm that handled the original work on the Ungka Flyover, won the contract for Phase 2 of the flyover’s rectification, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Western Visayas regional director Sanny Boy Oropel confirmed on Saturday, September 29.

Oropel said IBC was “the most qualified” among those who bid for the rectification.

“In the many structures that IBC has done, we have not seen any problems. The issue lay in the plans. It wasn’t the people under the regional office implementing the project but the plans being implemented,” Oropel said.

“For us, we are very confident, and given the chance, the Regional Office 6 would not allow our name to be tarnished just because of the Ungka Flyover,” he added.

Daily Guardian attempted to verify other bidders through the DPWH website, where abstracts of bids for other projects have been posted.

However, no abstracts for the Ungka Flyover rectification were available.

Oropel added that the reopening of the flyover will be a “Christmas gift” to the public, targeting a full operation by December 25.

The Phase 2 contract has not yet been published on the DPWH’s website as of Sunday, September 29.

However, Bid Bulletin No. 1, dated September 16, indicated that the contract, with a budget of PHP 193 million, includes the following works:

• Intensive jet grouting of the remaining piers and portions of both abutments A and B,
• Removal of the existing wearing surface and application of the Geofoam System to correct the flyover’s vertical design profile,
• Installation of metal railings and claddings, and
• Repair of damaged pavement beneath the flyover.

Oropel said they would not construct additional bored piles on Piers 4, 5, and 6 because they have “proven that the DPWH has rested on the hard strata.” The focus will be on jet grouting instead.

The bored piles were initially meant to underpin (kalso) or support the main piers to prevent them from sinking further.

Oropel also noted that the soil strata or layer beneath Pier 13 had already hardened before reaching the target depth of 64 meters.

The original bidding documents for this rectification phase set a project duration of 240 calendar days (8 months), but it was shortened to 90 days (3 months) according to the bid bulletin.

Bidding opened on September 2 and closed on Tuesday, September 24, based on information from bidding documents and the DPWH website.

The PHP 680-million, 1,500-meter flyover, which connects Iloilo City and the neighboring town of Pavia, opened on June 30, 2022, and became fully operational by September of that year.

However, it was closed days later after structural issues became a topic of concern on traditional and social media.

The DPWH-Western Visayas, under the leadership of then-director and now-DPWH Assistant Secretary Nerie Bueno, secured a PHP 13.48-million contract for a third-party investigation by Pasig City-based engineering consultancy firm Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultants.

Results from this investigation were used for Phase 1 of rectification, worth PHP 95.95 million, awarded to a Davao City-based firm. The work began in January but ended later than its 120-day contract duration.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES PLANNED

Aside from fixing structural issues, DPWH is planning aesthetic improvements for the Ungka Flyover. Oropel announced that the department intends to install aluminum cladding and light effects around the flyover to turn it into an “iconic structure” for Iloilo.

While the improvements are designed to enhance the flyover’s appearance, especially at night, Oropel assured that the additional budget required would be “minimal.”

MOVING FORWARD

Regarding potential liabilities of United Technologies Consolidated Partnership, the firm responsible for the flyover’s design, Oropel said the matter rests with the Office of the Ombudsman.

He reiterated that they are not assigning blame for the structure’s defects but are focused on “moving forward” with the rectification.

Former Senator Franklin Drilon, who was present in the DPWH press conference, emphasized the need to focus on moving forward and completing the rectification process.

He added that any accountability for the flyover’s previous issues would be handled by the Office of the Ombudsman.

AGANAN FLYOVER

Oropel also disclosed that a consultancy contract for the nearby Aganan Flyover, also in Pavia, was awarded on September 2 for PHP 15.325 million.

The contract, which runs for 120 calendar days, is set to expire on January 1, 2025.

According to the Terms of Reference obtained by Daily Guardian, the consultancy’s scope is divided into two parts: Part A (Detailed Evaluation and Technical Study) and Part B (Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Documents).

Part A covers comprehensive structural and foundation investigations, recommendations for remedial measures, and technical studies, if necessary.

Part B includes detailed engineering plans and specifications, cost and quantity estimates, unit price analysis, and preparation of bidding and contract documents in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act).

The regional director assured that works on the Aganan Flyover would be completed by the third quarter of 2025, with a target date of September 2025.