Submitted on September 25, 2025 by Governor Edwin I. Jubahib to various agencies in the national government, the document represents a local government’s direct scrutiny of national construction projects long criticized for overpricing, delays, and premature failure.
The inspection covered eleven Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects worth more than one billion pesos. It catalogues the condition of each site, the financial profile of each contract, and the issues discovered during on-ground validation.
The Tuganay Bridge System: Expensive and Already Deteriorating
At the heart of the report lies the Tuganay Bridge system along the Maharlika Highway in Carmen.
Tuganay Bridge No. 1 cost ₱516 million for a six-lane, 420-meter reinforced concrete deck girder structure — roughly ₱1.23 million per linear meter. The province contrasted this with its own bridge program, which averages ₱466,667 per meter, showing a 38 percent price gap.
Despite being completed only in February 2024, provincial engineers documented major scaling and raveling of the pavement, longitudinal and transverse cracking at the approaches, and drainage channels blocked by dumped fill and unsuitable base materials.
The report notes the use of recycled Portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) debris and poor compaction in the approaches.
The second span, Tuganay Bridge No. 2 (Phase II), initially funded at ₱110 million and started on April 10 2025, is already exhibiting scaling and cracks before turnover. Inspectors again found unsuitable base/sub-base material, recycled debris, and ineffective traffic management.
They recommend re-inspection, coring and rebound hammer testing, and clearing of waterways to avoid flooding. These findings highlight how an already high-priced structure is failing performance expectations.
The Tagum–Panabo Circumferential Road: New Yet Defective
The Malitbog–Kasilak–Consolacion section of the Tagum–Panabo Circumferential Road (₱150.28 million, DPWH Region XI, MAC Builders) was completed in December 2022. Yet the inspection describes major scaling almost throughout the pavement, block, longitudinal, centerline and edge cracks, potholes, and faded lane markings. Repairs of waterlines affected during construction were also delayed.
The provincial team formally recommended that DPWH–Region XI conduct a comprehensive verification within the project’s defects-liability period to ensure the contractor corrects deficiencies.
Samal Island: Expensive Overlays and Planning Paralysis
A cluster of preventive maintenance and asphalt overlay projects on the Babak–Samal–Kaputian Road shows another systemic issue: costing close to full concrete pavement but delivered as asphalt maintenance.
Three segments — Contract IDs 23L00152, 24L00224 and 24L00225 — had program amounts between ₱50 million and ₱100 million each, with asphalt overlays of about 80 mm thickness in two layers and re-blocking of damaged PCCP.
The report calculates costs of about ₱26 million per kilometer, pricier to the province’s ₱25 million/km for new Portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP).
Governor Jubahib explicitly requests the DPWH planning section to review its “quite overpriced” standard costing and asks that quality assurance teams conduct coring tests on the asphalt.
Planning and coordination lapses are equally visible.
A ₱102.48-million road widening project (Contract ID 25LJ0005) has achieved only 5.66 percent physical accomplishment since starting March 24 2025 and was suspended April 15 2025 due to right-of-way permit issues.
Jubahib questions this suspension because the site is an existing concrete road intended only for overlay and widening. The report notes 13 project-affected persons (PAPs) still under negotiation and a five-year suspended bridge project contributing to delays.
A ₱100-million preventive maintenance with road safety devices (Contract ID 24L00227) was halted January 2 2025 over ROW permit issues and only resumed September 15 2025.
Another ₱100-million overlay (Contract ID 24L00226) and a ₱21.52-million drainage project (Contract ID 25LJ0003) were stopped by Samal Water District pipeline works and electrical posts obstructing excavation, respectively. Both reports advise continuing unaffected sections while resolving utilities.
The inspection remarks consistently show weak pre-construction coordination with utilities and landowners, causing months-long stoppages after funds were already obligated.
With their findings, the provincial report’s recommendations section asks the DPWH 2nd District Engineering Office to do the following:
1. Submit comprehensive financial accomplishment reports for every project — including disbursements, fund utilization, certificates of completion, and notices of suspension or resumption.
2. Convene a coordination meeting with the DPWH Regional Director, planners, district engineers, contractors, prosecutors, lawyers, fiscals, and other direct government officials to discuss costing standards and right-of-way bottlenecks.
3. Permit and cooperate with provincial quality assurance testing such as rebound hammer and asphalt coring.
The inspection team notes it has already begun rebound hammer tests on structures such as the pedestrian overpass pier near Tuganay Bridge and plans further material validation.
Across the eleven projects, several patterns stand out:
1. Cost escalation: Preventive maintenance priced at roughly ₱26 million/km, comparable to full PCCP construction.
2. Premature deterioration: Bridges and roads showing scaling and cracks within one to two years of completion.
3. Planning failures: Multi-million peso works halted for ROW, waterline, and electrical pole conflicts.
4. Transparency gaps: The province lacks full DPWH disbursement and utilization data, prompting formal requests.
The report underscores a demand for accountability urging all government agencies for their steadfast commitment to upholding transparency, accountability, and good governance which is vital in ensuring the integrity and success of infrastructure and social service delivery within the province.
The 31-page report is both a technical audit and a governance statement. It shows that even flagship bridges and arterial roads can be overpriced and structurally compromised soon after completion; that multi-million peso projects can stall for months over planning oversights; and that local governments are willing to demand cost transparency and material testing.
Whether the DPWH Region XI, its district offices, and the contractors named — such as Nueda Builders Construction & Supply, R.A. Pahati Construction & Supply, MAC Builders, Hi-View Resources & Dev’t Corp./BJAM Prime JV, Rely Construction & Supply, and EACN Construction — respond with corrective action will determine if this inspection becomes a catalyst for reform or simply another unheeded report.
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