The second progress billing for the construction of the Bacolod City Government Center project amounting to P39 million was submitted recently by Hilmarc's Construction Corporation to the Bacolod City government.

Secretary to the Mayor Roger Balo said the monitoring team, which he heads, has endorsed the matter to Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia.

He said the monitoring team created to assess the progress of the construction of the project will conduct an ocular inspection at the site and assess the actual construction or progress of work to determine if it is appropriate with the billing submitted by HCC.

The first progress billing submitted by HCC in February amounted to P59 million and was sourced from the available sum of "net operating surplus for 2006" and available gross income of the city. These are new funds and not funds derived from projects that have already been appropriated upon for 2007.

Balo said that, because of the excellent fiscal management of the city he believes it will have no problem in paying the second billing requested by HCC.

The city has a standing loan with PNB which could be availed of after the election period while its loan application with LBP has been withheld pending the judicial determination of a case filed against the city before the Office of the Ombudsman by a retired policeman.

Balo said he has visited the construction site and saw that HCC has started the construction of the vertical structure of the third floor of the project.

He said HCC is 42 days ahead of schedule in the construction work.

Meanwhile, Balo said other members of the monitoring team are Councilor Dindo Ramos, and non-interested parties who include a civil engineer, chemical and electrical engineers.*CGS

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