PUBLIC Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon is right: The government may have forfeited valuable opportunities in the past by not cashing in on the warranty built into major infrastructure projects.
We heard Dizon say in a recent radio interview that such project warranty may not have been “consistently enforced in the past,” resulting in “roads deterioration after just one rainy season.” We heard him vow that contractors will now be required “to honor a five-year warranty,” explaining that this will ensure that project defects “will be repaired at no additional cost to the government.”
Dizon’s remarks, which was made during the reopening of a newly rehabilitated southbound lane of the EDSA-Magallanes flyover, must have elicited both surprise and delight. It was surprising because warranties and guaranties are standard features of infrastructure contracts. They are meant to protect the people’s interest. So, why should we start enforcing this protective provision of contracts only now?
Dizon’s remarks must have also generated some pleasant reactions. The public must be saying, “at last, the government appears determined to eradicate — or, at least, mitigate — corruption in the infrastructure sector. It looks like under Dizon’s watch at the DPWH, contractors will have to fully comply with project standards set in their contracts with the government.
This should put an end to the era of shortcuts where the quality of the project and the safety of the public are compromised.
The fact is Dizon had already taken this route several months ago.
It will be recalled that Dizon had ordered the enforcement of the warranties and guarantee provisions in the contracts related to what were reported to be “substandard” flood control projects in various parts of the country.
Again, it was a “pleasant surprise” that a good number of contractors involved in these projects had immediately responded to the “stern” instructions of the DPWH head. There have been reports that some of these projects are already being repaired or redone to ensure conformity with the original specifications under their respective contracts.
Just as Dizon had recently pointed out, the repair works are being done at no additional cost to the government. The concerned contractors have to dip into their own pockets to make amends for the failure to do the project right the first time around.
We recall that Dizon garnered kudos for this step.
By calling on the project warranties, the government spared itself from protracted and costly litigation. It also gave the contractors concerned the opportunity to correct a mistake and to shoulder the cost of their earlier failure to comply with pre-agreed specifications and standards.
We understand that there are contractors concerned who, on their own, had gone to Dizon and initiated the move to repair their projects based on the warranty provisions of their contracts. This proved that there are still contractors with a conscience, or that contractors would actually want to do things right if not for the pressure coming from some unscrupulous political and government agency personalities.
The big winner in this move by Dizon is the Filipino people.
We get to benefit from properly built infrastructure projects funded by the taxes we pay, and which are designed to protect lives, property and communities. We are spared from the unnecessary drama fueled by litigation, and from the further delays such conflicts cause.
There are two things on our wish-list for our taxpaying countrymen.
First, that the DPWH under Dizon would initiate steps to impose longer warranty periods for major infrastructure projects. This would ensure that contractors would do the projects correctly right from the very start. We are sure contractors would not want to incur huge expenses that come with having to repair or redo under-warranty projects.
Our second wish is that Dizon reiterate his instruction for contractors with projects categorized as “substandard” to come clean and take the initiative to correct their mistakes.
This will do a lot for the contracting industry in the country. It’s about time contractors restore the honor and dignity of the enterprise they chose to run.
Meanwhile, we hope that the infrastructure scandal in our country dies soon as contractors make amends for their mistakes. There are other pressing problems in the world today which need the attention of our national leadership.
