Some 10 of the 32 units of heavy equipment acquired during the term of former governor Art Yap for a total of P216 million have been bogging down repeatedly due to defective parts less than a year after their turnover to the provincial government, an official said.

Abraham Clarin, chief of the Provincial Motorpool Office, described the heavy equipment which included bulldozers, backhoes, dump trucks and road rollers as “unbranded” and of “low quality.”

“Daghan og units pero karong semanaha naay nadaot na lima, unya sunod seman naay maajo anang tulo, pero madungagan na pod og laing madaot. Mao na iyang cycle na magpuli-puli og kadaot,” said Clarin.

According to Clarin, they initially proposed the purchase of only 22 units of heavy equipment but these were branded.

However, the Yap administration revised their proposal and opted to purchase 32 units which were cheaper and “China-made.”

“Kadtong among mga gipangpili kadtong mga branded na Komatsu ug Volvo. Karon kay ilang gusto kay aron mo daghan, mo kuha ta og China mao ni abot og 32,” said Clarin.

Clarin said that the heavy equipment arrived when Yap’s term was winding down in 2022.

He added that one of the units started bogging down after just two days of usage.

Clarin noted that they have not spent any amount for the repairs yet as the heavy equipment units were still under warranty.

The heavy equipment’s supplier, Cebu-based Avantrac Heavy Machinery, Inc. has deployed a mechanic to handle the repairs free of charge.

“Ni request mi na while under warranty naa gyuy standby dinhi na mekaniko. Naay usahay duha, usahay pod tulo ilang ipada na mekaniko,” said Clarin.

Clarin however expressed concern that once the warranty expires in two years, the provincial government will be burdened by the growing repair expenses.

The procurement of the units was the largest single purchase of heavy equipment made by the provincial government so far, the Capitol official said.

He explained that they did not experience the same situation of having to constantly repair heavy equipment before when they purchased high-quality units. (A. Doydora)