BY: DONALD SEVILLA
THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG
Much discussion has been generated by the viral post of a lateral irrigation canal that appears to be substandard, which is a vital artery link of the recenty inaugurated SMALL RESERVOIR IRRIGATION PROJECT (SRIP) of the NIA(National Irrigation Administration) in Mabini, Bohol to bring water to our farmers.
While we could conduct endless debates and investigations on the matter, it may be worthy to read the salient provisions of RA 9184, the Government Procurement Reform Act regarding concrete infrastructure for government projects.
We do not wish to point fingers at anyone but from what can be seen in the videos circulating online, it appears to show shoddy workmanship.
The concrete has become brittle. No matter how we justify that it was constructed years back, still it does not hide the fact that the proper concrete design mix may not have been strictly followed.
1.These lateral canals are most often located in difficult terrain that the logistics involved in the hauling of materials are challenging. Sand, gravel and other materials have to be manually brought to the site, exacerbated by the lack of water to be used in the concrete mix.
2. Justifying by saying these were built in 2011 may be a lame excuse as under the guidelines of RA9184, it falls short of its expected usable life. The viral videos we can see of its actual state, can lead us to form our own conclusions on the matter.
We have been besieged by projects of similar nature under similar circumstances which concerned implementing agencies are quick to dismiss and justify.
This mindset has caused us billions in wasted spending and opportunities. Is this yet again another glaring example of our deep-rooted corruption?
Our observations are valid and worth looking into deeper.