THE controversial construction of Loon hospital is expected to be inaugurated or turned over sometime in March when all the ground and road works and other facilities and services like water may be completed.
Provincial administrator gave this hint after what she called the “accumulated delay” of the hospital’s construction ten years after the earthquake hit it during the Capitol Reports weekly press conference.
It is recalled that the contractor, Medikotek, Inc., who was tasked to build a new building of Congressman Natalio Castillo Memorial Hospital (CNCMH) in Loon town, is liable for damages and its failure to finish it, Provincial Engineer Camilo Gasatan bluntly told this writer in an interview.
The construction of a new hospital building and the area, owned and managed by the provincial government, was prompted after its buildings and the site where it sits were badly destroyed by 7.2 magnitude earthquake on October 15, 2013.
Some three buildings of the old hospital were rendered unfit for patients and its site for a hospital. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (MGB-DENR), earlier, advised and recommended to relocate the hospital after the earthquake.
Then the late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, who spent a night in Loon town, personally handed over the check of P70 million to hospital authorities in a ceremony held at the ruined old hospital building just few days after the earthquake hit the entire Bohol.
The seed money was meant to start construction for an entirely new hospital building.
The construction was supposed to start (2016) three years after the earthquake and two years after that, the hospital construction began reportedly. The delay was further aggravated due to difficulty in locating a suitable site for the new buildings to construct based on MGB’s recommendation.
Gasatan said that the Manila-based contractor was given by incumbent Gov. Aris Aumentado deadline to finish the job, first, in March last year. But no completion was done.
He said that the contractor was sent a notice to terminate he job. And they responded that made the provincial government to give them a chance to finish it by June 2023 as the deadline. But still did not finish. The provincial government has to terminate the contract and blacklisted the contractor, he added.
DELAY
The contractor said earlier in a report that the slowdown of its works was caused by material prices increase and the slow delivery of these materials procured from Manila, according to report of the weekly, Bohol Chronicle.
It also cited the impact of the pandemic and super typhoon “Odette” that hit the entire province on December 16, 2021 as reasons for the delay, Gasatan said.
This writer tried to contact the engineer/contractor for comment but the latter did not reply.
OTHER KINKS
The other projects in the form of health facilities as part of the hospital were also rendered unfinished.
During the actual visit of this writer, the Dialysis Center constructed beside the new hospital in barangay Canhangdon was not finished and concrete posts with rustic iron bars are visible.
The cost of the project is P11,300,000.00 constructed by JE Arradaza Construction and Supply and implemented by administration thru the Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO) based on the ruined tarpaulin posting beside the unfinished structure. This was started during the administration of then Gov. Arthur C. Yap, a guard here said.
Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) earlier said that the said dialysis facility has been given budget for its construction.
Another unfinished building during the past administration is the construction of Sewage Treatment Facility with Biological and Nutrient Removal. It is worth P5,661,895.32 and constructed by Chem-Earth Technologies, Inc.
Both projects have no printed dates for the work start and finish in the torn tarpaulins.
Some of the new hospital equipment appeared to be exposed to elements even if they’re covered since they were placed at the entrance of the hospital.
ON-GOING WORKS
The construction of pathway and covered walk worth P4,086,000.00 by JECK Contractor is on-going. It is also administered by PEO.
Another on-going project is the construction of P4,777,637.38 perimeter fence by Gerson Construction and Hardware Supply and administered by PEO.
ANNUAL BUDGET
The hospital’s annual budget is placed at a total of P68,202,597.63 in 2023, the annual provincial budget showed.
It is higher than P64,526,096.72 and P44,959,454.39 in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Loon hospital is one of the ten hospitals devolved to the provincial government of Bohol after the effectivity in 1992 of the Local Government Code of 1991.
It is named in honor of the late Congressman Natalio Castillo, who was a native in Loon town. (ricobedencio@yahoo.com)
