Aside from the kilometric project title, the tarpaulin sign put up by the contractor at the ricefield near the Virac airport is notable for its lack of key project information.
Belatedly installed in compliance with auditing rules and regulations of the Commission of Audit, the signage does not state a brief description of the project as well as its target date of completion, percentage accomplished and cost incurred.
Funded under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, the project was awarded by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office No. V to the top flood control contractor in Bicol: GCI Construction and Development Corporation.
Implemented under the department’s Asset Preservation Program, the contract is identified as Project No. 24F00011 and consists of six subprojects combined as Cluster XI.
The first is for the construction, upgrading and rehabilitation of drainage on certain sections of of the circumferential road, with a total length of 1.882 kilometers.
The second is for the rehabilitation, reconstruction and upgrading of damaged paved roads (secondary roads) in Bato and San Andres, with a total length of 797 meters.
The third is for the same work in San Miguel town, with a total length of two kilometers while the fourth, also for road reconstruction covers 2.597 lineal meters of the highway in Pandan and Caramoran.
The fifth is also for the reconstruction of damaged roads in Virac, with a total length of 1.159 kilometers whole the sixth is for the preventive maintenance of 1.221 kilometers of secondary roads in Bato.
The project has yet to appear in the DPWH Transparency Portal in its website but some information is available at the section for infrastructure projects by region.
According to the site, the GCI contract is worth a total of P262,525,153,41, but it does not give a breakdown of the cost per subproject.
Started on Nov. 11, 2024, the P262 million project was supposed to be completed on Oct. 26, 2025, but as of Feb. 18, 2026, the cumulative accomplishment of the contractor was just 45.29 percent.
The Tribune was unable to determine if the DPWH regional office has approved contract time extensions for the long-delayed project.