PRDP ensures quality of infra projects

The World Bank (WB) review mission and the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) infrastructure specialists recently met in Davao City with contractors involved in projects to assess its implementation and identify problem areas that require attention. 

Ma. Fe Gabunales, head of the infrastructure component of the PRDP in Mindanao, said it is important for contractors to know the correct implementation procedures, since the quality of the project accomplishment facilitates “easy payment.

She added that the PRDP aims to achieve a 35-percent financial disbursement target for the projects by June and all documents should be compliant to facilitate speedy billing of the contractors.

The PRDP is particularly keen on making sure that the project, specifically the materials used in construction, is in accordance with the desired specification, since failure to comply or apply corrective measures will become factors in non-payment.

During the meeting, the stakeholders recommended that contractors should also require their materials engineer to go regularly to the project site to supervise the quality of materials delivered and method of construction adopted.

The contractors are also required to submit all materials to quality testing and all accomplished works to laboratory and field tests and provide LGU with the test results as attachment to billings.

The PRDP is also strict in the implementation of geotagging, which must be done regularly.

The meeting tackled the planned, proposed and ongoing implementation of various project components, including infrastructure, enterprise development, planning, and support to implementation.

It also highlighted best practices that contribute to the successful implementation of the program, which will be applied to subsequent awarded subprojects.

The WB and PRDP team had a site inspection of the Binancian farm-to-market road in Asuncion, Davao del Norte, which was found to be satisfactory by the WB infrastructure team, headed by Engr. Raoul Azanza.

They called the project a model example to other contractors and local government units in terms of project implementation.