THE CONCRETE walls of housing units intended for victims of super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) in Concepcion, Iloilo were found to be “peeling off” during an inspection last June 8. Engr. Victor Diomo Jr. of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Western Visayas maintenance division said the concrete used did not meet the required mixing proportion, making it “substandard.” The P290-million housing project is under the National Housing Authority (NHA). Mr. Diomo said while the houses can still withstand earthquakes, defects are expected to occur later on and the buildings need to be subjected to further structural assessment. “They should have monitored the construction. It was not properly supervised,” he said. Herminio Carreon, head of project contractor Hercar Builders, denied that the units are substandard, but admitted that they did not have engineers to closely monitor the construction work. Mr. Carreon said they are prepared to fixing the defects. Meanwhile, Iloilo Provincial Board Member Renee L. Valencia, chair of the committee on justice, good government, and human rights, said based on her own observation, the houses are of “poor quality.” Ms. Valencia said they will wait for the report of the DPWH engineers and decide how to move forward with the ongoing probe. The board’s investigation stemmed from complaints of residents. Construction for the 1,000-unit project started in 2016. So far, only 450 houses have been completed. — Louine Hope U. Conserva

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