Top officials of the Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology (ASSCAT) vowed not to tolerate corruption as they made a surprise visit to the construction sites of the school’s two multi-million-peso projects in Bunawan town in Agusan del Sur.
Dr. Joy C. Capistrano, ASSCAT president; along with Vice Presidents Dr. Carmelo S. Llanto and Dr. Ferdinand A. Dumalagan, visited the site of the P37 million College of Teachers Education (CTE) Building, whose Phase I was still undergoing construction; and the P18.45 million Graduate Studies Building to send the message that they won’t tolerate ghost projects or substandard work at the expense of public funds.
Accompanied by in-house engineers from the project management unit of the Department of Public Works and Highways, the school officials scrutinized the quality of materials, construction pace, and the project’s compliance with the timeline.
They said their presence was more than ceremonial as it was an assertion that they would not allow shortcuts, delays, or cover-up under their watch.
The CTE Building is set for completion in May 2026 and is expected to house modern classrooms, faculty rooms, and offices. On the other hand, the Graduate Studies Building will house upgraded spaces for advanced academic work and research.
School officials said the structures would serve as test cases for the present administration’s drive to impose strict accountability in infrastructure spending.
‘Taxpayers deserve full value for every peso spent and ghost projects have no place in the campus or the community,’ said Capistrano amidst the mounting concern over government-funded projects nationwide, where billions of taxpayers’ money were lost to unfinished structures or poorly built ones.