Cayetano To DPWH: Delays Caused Additional Costs To NSB

(MENAFN- EIN Presswire) PHILIPPINES, July 7 - Press Release
July 5, 2024

Cayetano to DPWH: Delays caused additional costs to NSB

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has admitted that the New Senate Building (NSB) project is undergoing delays due to variation orders which have in turn contributed to increased cost.

This came out during Wednesday's hearing on the NSB by the Senate Committee on Accounts chaired by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.

Cayetano, who is currently reviewing the project's P23 billion estimated cost, clarified that there have been delays in the project even before the Senate reorganization last May.

"Kasi may mga nagpapalabas na dine-delay namin ito ni Senator Escudero," he said, adding that the NSB project has been delayed by 852 days.

With no specific completion date for the project, DPWH Project Director Soledad Florencio explained that the delays -- technically called Extension of Time (EoT) -- were due to variation orders and continuous revisions.

This has resulted in more than P78 million worth of EoT charges, within the estimated P800 million cost for the project's entire variation orders.

Cayetano also raised concerns over the additional design fees amounting to P173 million on top of the P258 million original design fee of the project.

He emphasized that the delays and additional costs could have been avoided if the DPWH had consulted the Senate Coordinating Team (SCT) before finalizing the Detailed Architectural and Engineering Design (DAED) of the project.

"Hindi niyo kinausap ang Senado before DAED, that's why nagkaroon EoT. Kinausap niyo senado after DAED that's why nag ka-VO at kaya may EoT [cost] ka na napakalalaki," Cayetano pointed out.

"On hindsight, avoidable ito . Pwedeng walang RDAED [revised DAED] kung nag usap," he added.

Cayetano sa DPWH: Mga pagkaantala, nakakadagdag sa gastos sa NSB

Inamin ng Department of Public Works and Highways o DPWH na naantala ang pagpapatayo ng New Senate Building o NSB dahil sa mga variation order o pagbabago na nagresulta sa pagtaas ng kabuuang gastos sa proyekto.

Lumabas ang impormasyong ito sa pagdinig tungkol sa NSB ng Senate Committee on Accounts na pinamumunuan ni Senador Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Miyerkules.

Kasalukuyang sinusuri ng komite ang P23 bilyong halaga ng estimated cost ng proyekto. Ayon sa senador, may mga naantala na sa pagpapatayo ng NSB bago pa man ang reorganisasyon sa Senado nitong May.

"Kasi may mga nagpapalabas na dine-delay namin ito ni Senator Escudero," aniya.

Bukod dito, sinabi rin ni Cayetano na 852 araw ng naantala ang proyekto.

Ipinaliwanag ni DPWH Project Director Soledad Florencio na ang Extension of Time (EoT) o delay ay dahil sa mga variation order at patuloy na mga pagbabago sa proyekto kaya hindi masabi ng ahensya kung kailan ito matatapos.

Nagresulta ito sa mahigit P78 milyong halaga ng mga singil sa EoT, sa loob ng tinatayang P800 milyong halaga para sa buong variation order ng proyekto.

Kwinestyon din ni Cayetano ang karagdagang design fees na nagkakahalaga ng P173 milyon na bukod pa sa P258 milyon na orihinal na design fee ng proyekto.

Binigyang-diin ng senador na maaaring maiwasan ang mga delay at karagdagang gastos kung nakipag-ugnayan sana ang DPWH sa Senate Coordinating Team o SCT bago tapusin ang Detailed Architectural and Engineering Design o DAED ng proyekto.

"Hindi niyo kinausap ang Senado before DAED, that's why nagkaroon EoT. Kinausap niyo senado after DAED that's why nag ka-VO at kaya may EoT [cost] ka na napakalalaki," pahayag ni Cayetano.

"On hindsight, avoidable ito . Pwedeng walang RDAED [revised DAED] kung nag usap," dagdag niya.

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