Cebu — The city Mayor Nestor Archival has announced plans to hire additional engineers and potentially outsource technical documentation to address significant delays in the city’s infrastructure projects. This move comes in response to a 2025 Annual Audit Report from the Commission on Audit (COA), which flagged capacity constraints within the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) as a major factor stalling priority developments.
Addressing Capacity Constraints and Backlogs
The COA report revealed that 41 priority infrastructure projects, valued at approximately ₱2.11 billion, failed to proceed as scheduled in 2025 due to DEPW's limited manpower and workload issues. Because of these implementation readiness and procurement delays, the city was only able to utilize about 7.98% of its ₱4.32 billion Development Fund last year. Mayor Archival acknowledged the backlog inherited by his administration and stated that the city is currently assessing whether internal teams can manage the workload or if outsourcing the preparation of Programs of Work and Estimates (POWE) is necessary to keep projects moving.
The Challenges Facing the CCMC Project
Beyond the general infrastructure backlog, the long-delayed construction of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) remains a primary point of concern for state auditors. Despite over ₱1.13 billion already being spent on the project, the hospital remains unfinished more than a decade after the 2013 Bohol earthquake. COA auditors cited numerous issues, including inadequate engineering planning, missing technical documentation, and prolonged contract suspensions, which have collectively prevented a complete technical evaluation of the facility.
A Strategy for Future Improvement
To prevent further setbacks, the COA has urged the city government, the DEPW, and the City Planning and Development Office to tighten the screening process for projects before they receive funding. Mayor Archival is also supporting a proposal to hire independent project management consultants to provide the professional oversight needed for complex projects like the CCMC. As the city prepares for the long-term process of outsourcing documentation—which could take three to four months to procure—it continues to focus on clearing its existing backlog through its current engineering personnel.