MikeLigalig.com – Delays and design changes in the construction of the New Senate Building have led to increased costs, officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways told a Senate committee Wednesday.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, chair of the Senate Committee on Accounts, said the project has been delayed by 852 days. The estimated cost now stands at P23 billion pesos.
DPWH Project Director Soledad Florencio attributed the delays to variation orders and ongoing revisions.
These have resulted in over P78 million pesos in extension of time charges, part of an estimated P800 million pesos for all variation orders.
Cayetano questioned an additional P173 million pesos in design fees on top of the original P258 million peso fee.
He suggested the delays and extra costs could have been avoided if DPWH had consulted the Senate Coordinating Team before finalizing designs.
“You didn’t talk to the Senate before the detailed design, that’s why there was an extension of time,” Cayetano said. “If you had talked, there might not have been a need for revisions.”