Department of Public Works and Highways Region 12 vows to monitor and implement construction projects more meticulously as Regional Director Reynaldo Tamayo plans to strictly impose a ‘three-strike policy’ among contractors, which aims to eradicate accidents and ensure safety in on-going project sites.
The said policy will enforce sanctions among contractors that violate or fail to comply with the Department’s standardized system of signs, lighting and traffic management. Recent reports revealed that the installation of worn out and wrong signage and the failure of contractors to put safety barricades on construction sites to warn and inform the public of the on-going project are the main causes of confusion and accidents among motorist.
Under the ‘three-strike policy,’ the violations committed by the contractors can be labeled on three levels of offense with the third violation to be sanctioned with administrative penalty or suspension for a certain time in any procurement process in any office of the DPWH. Likewise, project managers in charge of the implementation of the construction project who failed to submit complete and verifiable three-strike report shall also be sanctioned or penalized under the Uniform Rules on Administrative Cases in Civil Service.
Tamayo also condemned the storage of materials and construction wastes along road sections during construction and maintenance activities as it pose danger and inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians. He reiterated the application of proper practices in the disposal and management of spoils and debris generated from all on-going and completed projects leaving no open excavations, digging or open potholes on road constructions and repair works without temporary covers within the day the excavations to ensure road safety.
To further ensure strict compliance to roadwork safety, the department has created a Road Work Safety Team for the 16 Engineering regions nationwide. The team will be responsible for conducting periodic inspection and monitoring on DPWH projects. They will investigate accidents and recommend sanctions to concerned offices and contractors who will violate road works safety.
Director Tamayo is very optimistic that with strict imposition of the 3-strike policy, number of accidents in on-going project sites will be reduced and until such time that no more accident will take place in all DPWH on-going projects.