SEN. Raffy Tulfo and the Aganan Flyover in Pavia town, Iloilo province. (Senate/Tara Yap)
ILOILO CITY — Sen. Raffy Tulfo criticized the unfinished P802-million flyover in Iloilo, one of two controversial pet projects of former Senate President Franklin Drilon, an Ilonggo.
“Hindi naman mag-rereklamo ang mga taga-Iloilo kung maayos 'yung proyekto (The people of Iloilo will not complain if the project was done right),” said Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services during a hearing on Thursday, Sept. 18.
The Aganan Flyover in Pavia town remains unfinished more than five years after construction started in July 2020.
Construction was halted in September 2022 when the nearby Ungka Flyover, which connects Pavia town and neighboring Iloilo City, was closed to vehicular traffic following structural problems.
Contractor International Builders Corp. (IBC) was initially tagged but the lapses were blamed on the company hired by the Department of Public Works and Highways-Bureau of Design (DPWH-BOD).
The United Technology Consolidated Partnership (UTCP) said that the ground for the Aganan Flyover is stable at around 20 to 24 meters but this was later refuted by a third-party firm which found out that the stability of the soil was around 40 to 54 meters.
Construction work and the reevaluation were stopped due to the mistake in soil testing and design in 2022.
While there was around P308 million left from the original budget for construction, the DPWH-6 estimated that around P210 million fund is needed to solve the problem.
It remains unclear where DPWH will source the needed P210 million.
Tulfo told DPWH to charge UTCP for the liquidated damages with its faulty soil testing and design.
The Aganan Flyover has been a headache for commuters from and to the towns of central Iloilo province to Iloilo City, especially during rush hour, as it creates heavy traffic.
Last Aug. 13, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. conducted a drive-by inspection of the Aganan Flyover.