Compostela riprap caves in a week after construction

Local

A RIPRAP in Barangay Cabadiangan, Compostela town, northern Cebu collapsed just a week after construction, burying several parked motorcycles and raising serious questions about project transparency and compliance with government regulations.

The incident has drawn the immediate attention of Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro, who prioritized both public safety and accountability in the aftermath.

The Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) was dispatched to the site as soon as the governor’s office received reports of the collapse on Wednesday, September 18.

PEO head Hector Jamora led the team, conducting an on-the-ground inspection to determine what caused the structural failure.

The findings were later presented during a department heads meeting on Monday, Sept. 22.

“Immediately after we received information last Wednesday that a riprap in Compostela had collapsed, the governor’s office immediately directed the engineering team to inspect the site,” said Provincial Public Information Officer Ainjeliz dela Torre-Orong.

She added that the inspection team not only confirmed the collapse but also uncovered lapses in project transparency, particularly in the details displayed on the site’s tarpaulin.

The governor raised concerns about the absence of key information on the on-site project tarp, which is supposed to indicate mandatory details such as the start and completion dates and the total contract cost.

“The governor questioned the project because, first, it has no start or completion dates, which are mandatory. Second, it doesn’t even have a cost. This is a big question because, based on COA (Commission on Audit) rules, that information should be there,” Orong explained.

Photos from the inspection showed the tarpaulin clearly lacking the required details.

Although the collapsed riprap is located in an uninhabited area, the provincial government stressed that it still poses a risk to the public because the structure is adjacent to a road with regular motorist traffic.

“The governor ordered an inspection for the safety of the public. She said that regardless of whether the project was under the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), public safety within the province is the priority. While there are no residents in the immediate area, many people pass by the site,” Orong said.

The riprap and road concreting project in Cabadiangan was implemented by Ascentia Construction Inc., according to the records gathered during the inspection.

Baricuatro underlined that even though the project falls under DPWH jurisdiction, the provincial government has a responsibility to review incidents that pose potential danger to residents and motorists.

To further ensure accountability, the recently formed Provincial Project Monitoring Committee, created under Baricuatro’s administration, will conduct a separate review of the collapsed riprap project.

The committee will require DPWH to provide explanations regarding the absence of crucial project information and any measures taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.(MyTVCebu)