The Provincial Government of Bohol has given the contractor of the Cong. Natalio Castillo Memorial Hospital (CNCMH) in Loon until the end of the month to finish the main building of the facility which was first conceptualized amid the post-earthquake rehabilitation efforts in 2013.
Engineer Camilo Gasatan, chief of the Provincial Engineering Office, said contractor Medikotek, Inc. vowed to complete the building on or before June 30, 2023 after it was previously given a notice for termination of contract due to its delay.
“Gihatagan nato sila og until this month kay napadalhan na namo ni sila og notice to terminate pero nitubag sila within seven days na ilang trabahuon, so gitagaan nato og chance kay nitubag man sila,” said Gasatan.
Gasatan added that the Manila-based firm is already liable for damages due to the significant delay in the completion of the facility.
According to Gasatan, the government will be forced to terminate the deal with Medikotek if the company will still fail to meet the new deadline.
However, the official noted that Medikotek was already in the process of punch-listing.
A punch list involves tasks required to fully satisfy the terms of a construction contract.
“Kanang punch list mao na inig inspection imong ilista ang mga defects or usbonon. So ginagmay nalang na. Pero in kaso na dili gihapon mo tunong ato silang paninglan. So mao nay nahitabo, so og dili sila kahuman sa punchlisting karong June 30 mao na nay last chance nila,” Gasatan said.
Earlier, officials of the construction firm explained that the project was delayed due the increase in prices of materials for the project and the slow delivery of these items from Luzon to Bohol.
They also noted further slowdown in the construction due to the COVID-19 pandemic which crippled inter-island transportation and the effects of Typhoon “Odette” which pummeled Bohol in December 2021.
Construction of the health facility was supposed to start in 2016 but it pushed through only in 2019 when former Governor Edgar Chatto was already about to step down from office.
It took a while for construction to start as the government had difficulty in finding a location which meets the safety standards set by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB). (A. Doydora)