Bulacan governor warns Bustos Dam contractors
CITY OF MALOLOS- "Act now or face civil and criminal charges."
This was the warning issued by Governor Daniel R. Fernando against the contractors of Angat Dam.
The governor sent a demand letter to the contractors for the immediate repair of the damaged rubber bladder of the Angat Afterbay Regulation Dam or Bustos Dam.
Fernando gave the contractors 10 days to act on his demand letter or face civil and criminal cases.
“We must act now. We demand the immediate removal and replacement of all six gates under the contract for Bustos Dam. Kapag hindi, I will not hesitate to file civil and criminal cases sa lahat ng kasangkot sa usaping ito,” the governor said during his privilege speech in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session held at the Benigno Aquino Sr. Session Hall in this city today.
He challenged members of the SP, headed by their Presiding Officer and Vice Governor Alexis Castro, to conduct an investigation regarding the matter.
This is after the ITP Construction, Inc. and Guangxi Hydroelectric Construction Bureau Co. Ltd. failed to repair the damaged rubber bladder at the Bay 5 of Bustos Dam which occurred only a year after its rehabilitation and while the contract is still under warranty.
The governor claimed that the contractors have been ignoring follow ups and demand letters sent to them by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in coordination with the provincial government of Bulacan.
Fernando also asked NIA to take responsibility on the delay of the repair of the damaged rubber gate which could impact 15,706 hectares of rice and vegetable areas of some 12,904 farmers.
He said may lose an estimated loss of P880,964,445 to P2,690,255,147 to the agriculture sector if the said portion of the dam is not rehabilitated soon.
It is also seen to affect 80 barangays once the dam collapsed.
In June 2020, the Office of the Governor alleged that the rubber gate at Bay 5 of Bustos Dam collapsed allegedly due to the inferior quality of materials used by the contractor in the rehabilitation of the said dam.
While the governor is in favor of the benefits that will be brought to the farmers of Bulacan through the construction of Bayabas Dam, he asked NIA to communicate to him the specifics of the project.
“Batid po natin na pinag-aralan ang proyekto na ito at dagdag na irigasyon ito sa ating mga magsasaka sa lalawigan. Gayunman, bilang Punong Lalawigan ng Bulacan na siyang mag-iiwi sa proyekto, marapat lamang po na mabigyan tayo ng karampatang detalye patungkol dito,” he said.