Settlement discussions are expected to transpire today between the Public School System and Guerrero Brothers Inc. following efforts by the State Board of Education and legislators to fast-track the six-year-old Tinian High School project.<\/p>\n
BOE members and the Tinian Legislative Delegation will facilitate the negotiations on Tinian today in another attempt to seek an end to the long-standing dispute between PSS and GBI.<\/p>\n
BOE Vice Chair Roman C. Benavente said the campus project’s delay has already caused enough strain among parties involved, as well as to the community in general.<\/p>\n
“It is conflicting everyone — the students, legislators, educators…We want to settle it once and for all so that we can resume with the campus construction and expedite other PSS projects,” said Mr. Benavente.<\/p>\n
GBI is reportedly seeking to collect from PSS the due amount for the services it has rendered for Phase I of the Tinian high school project.<\/p>\n
The amount, which school officials did not care to disclose, is said to be excessive than what the construction company is entitled to.<\/p>\n
After the settlement discussions, the Tinian delegation is anticipated to lay down recommendations for GBI on the course of action to take.<\/p>\n
The construction company will be given a week’s time after the consultations to respond to the leadership’s proposals, according to Mr. Benavente.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Herbert Soll and officials from the Governor’s Office are expected to take part in today’s discussions.<\/p>\n
Mr. Soll was earlier prodded by the Senate to take the lead in the PSS-GBI negotiations in order to assist the school system move on to the next phase of the Tinian campus project.<\/p>\n
The Tinian High School Phase I Project has been under the Office of Insular Affairs-probe since its contractor, GBI, stopped its construction back in 1996.<\/p>\n
The then Tanapag-based construction company reportedly abandoned the project four years ago after PSS terminated its contract for failing to meet deadlines.<\/p>\n
GBI, according to reports, failed to beat deadlines due to lack of manpower and resources.<\/p>\n
The construction firm, now out of business, barely finished phase one of the three-phase $9.5 million high school campus.<\/p>\n
The school system has already expended roughly $4 million on the project as of last construction work.<\/p>\n
OIA earlier disclosed it has set aside some $5.2 million in fresh funds should PSS accept the responsibilities and resume the project with another contractor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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