LAYOS FLOOD CONTROL

On the morning June 18, 1996 during one of his regular visits to the construction site, Alfredo
Cortez, the project engineer for the Layos River Control Project was worried and disappointed.
He was informed by Jun Galvez, the general foreman, that four more of the men were absent.
And two men reported back for work after having been absent without notice for seven and nine
days, respectively. Since he lacked laborers, Cortez had decided to let them stay.

Moreover, it had started to rain every afternoon and the river sometimes overflowed. This slowed
down the progress of the men in the construction of the spur dikes. From the way things were
developing, Cortez was not sure whether he be able to finish the construction on time.

The Layos River Control Project was one of the developmental projects of the Department of
Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office in San Fernando, La Union. It involved the
construction of boulder spur dikes along the Layos River in La Union. The dikes were being
constructed to divert the river flow thereby preventing further active scouring along the southern
bank.

There was a need to maintain the present river bank through these dikes to safeguard both the
highway and railroad bridges and at the same time to prevent the ricefields situated along the
southern bank from being eaten away by the current.

Every year for the past four years, the highway bridge had undergone major repairs (mainly on
the far end) due to the river bank scouring which was most active during the rainy season. The
same plight involved the railway bridge whereby the concrete support adjacent to be rebuilt
completely last year.

Furthermore, the river had been fast eroding away portions of the adjacent ricefields causing
deep concern among a number of farmers in the town of Layos.

At the start of the year, a notice from the Philippine National Railways as well as a petition from
some of the town folks regarding the hazards of the active bank scouring of Layos River prompted
the Regional Office of the BPW to undertake this river control project. In fact, the Bureau has it
listed as one of its top priority projects.

On February 21, 1996, the Regional Office of the DPWH in San Fernando, La Union directed the
District Office to prepare the project requirements and construction plans. The actual assignment
fell on the hands of Alfredo Cortez, a senior resident civil engineer. On that same day when he
got his orders from the district engineer. Cortez, together with his aide, Jose Ventura, and the
office Architect set out to survey the site. Hence after, they prepared the construction design and
work implementation plans. Cortez was also charged with the responsibility of screening and
hiring the laborers. Most of those he hired were from the town of Layos. Only a few came from
other neighboring towns.

A total of 33 laborers, mostly farmers by trade, were hired for the project (see Exhibit 1 for the
project organizational chart)
Moving in and staking out took a total of seven days. On March 7, 1996, excavation for the first
two structures began. The approved plan consisted of the construction of four spur dikes- two
before the highway bridge and the other two before the railroad bridge. Exhibit 2 presents the
location plan of the proposed spur dikes. Total estimated project cost was placed at
P10,000,000.00. Construction was targetted for completion of August 21, 1996.

Alfredo Cortez, 40 was formerly connected with a private construction company as Assistant Civil
Engineer. Twelve years ago, he joined the staff of the DPWH Region I Office in San Fernando.

Moving in and staking out took a total of seven days. On March 7, 1996, excavation for the first
two structures began. The approved plan consisted of the construction of four spur dikes- two
before the highway bridge and the other two before the railroad bridge. Exhibit 2 presents the
location plan of the proposed spur dikes. Total estimated project cost was placed at
P10,000,000.00. Construction was targeted for completion of August 21, 1996.
Alfredo Cortez, 40 was formerly connected with a private construction company as Assistant Civil
Engineer. Twelve years ago, he joined the staff of the DPWH Region I Office in San Fernando.

His long experience in construction work was recognized by his superiors so that important
projects were assigned to him. In fact, at the time this was written, he was in charge of two top
priority projects – one of which was river control project.

On April 7, 1996, Jose Ventura, a Civil Engineering Aide and Assistant of Cortez in this project,
resigned. Having passed the Civil Engineering Board Examination given last year, he was offered
a better paying position in a construction firm in Manila. Ventura was efficient in his job. In fact
Cortez entrusted the direct supervision of the project to him whenever he was not around.

At this time, the placing of loose boulder aprons for the first two spur dikes was in progress.
Before Ventura left, he informed Cortez that it would take about five weeks more before these
two structures would be completed.
Cortez could not find an immediate replacement for Ventura, so he had to rely on his general
foreman, Jun Galvez. Although Galvez did not have the qualifications that Ventura had, he
nevertheless had enough experience in construction work. Cortez, however, was aware that the
men seldom listened to Galvez. They would rather listen to Ventura and to the other two foremen
and take orders from them. From what Cortez heard, he had a tendency to shout at the men
when he gave them orders.