Confirmation of the contract last year was held in abeyance after Session Road businessmen requested for an independent estimate for the project, on the suspicion this was overpriced.
The local chapter of the Philippine Institute for Civil Engineers (Pice) and the Cordillera Infrastructure Monitoring Council (CIMC) were tapped to do the independent estimate of the sidewalk's rehabilitation.
Only the Pice submitted its report, however.
"The alleged price discrepancy has been proven to be unmeritorious," a portion of the committee report stated.
In the estimate prepared by the City Engineers Office (CEO), the rehabilitation costs P5,460,000. The Pice report on the other hand showed the project would only cost P4.5 million, or P1 million less than government's valuation.
To clarify the alleged overprice, a public hearing attended by officials of the CEO and Commission on Audit and concerned citizens was called early this year by the committee on laws.
During the public hearing, Engineer Eduardo Cruz, a Pice member tasked to conduct his own estimate, declared there was no overpricing.
Cruz said had he known the specifications of the CEO, he would have the same estimate.
"Each contractor has his own management skill and methodology in running work properly. Nonetheless, this is where competitive bidding works," Cruz said in a supplement report to the City Council.
The bricks canvassed by the Pice costs P14 to P15 per piece, while the bricks canvassed by the CEO costs P18 to P24 per piece.
Cruz explained that the CEO specification costs higher because it can withstand 2,500 pounds per square inch (psi) compared to the cheaper ones, which can withstand 1,000 to 1,500 psi only.
Over 100,000 bricks will be placed on the whole stretch of the Session sidewalk. (RO)
