The Office of the City Engineer (OCE) of Puerto Princesa has issued an explanation on why some roads being built in the city appear to have no steel reinforcement, following questions raised by residents and netizens.
In a Facebook post on Friday, the OCE clarified that not all roads require steel or rebar. It claimed that the standard is based on guidelines of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and civil engineering principles.
“Ayon sa DPWH standards at Civil Engineering principles, kaya ng kalsada na maging matibay at ligtas kahit walang bakal,” the OCE said, as long as the thickness of the concrete slab is correct, the soil is properly compacted, and it has passed the Field Density Test (FDT).
The engineering office explained that this type of construction is called Joint Plain Concrete Pavement (JPCP).
Under this method, dowel and tie bars are placed only at the joints of the concrete slabs, not across the entire width of the pavement.
These bars serve to connect the slabs and help the road withstand the weight of vehicles.
The OCE also noted that concrete is naturally strong in compression and, when combined with well-compacted soil and expansion joints, can handle heavy loads without continuous steel reinforcement.
Expansion joints, it added, prevent sudden cracking by allowing the slabs to expand and contract with changes in temperature.
A typical roadway section, according to the city office, is made up of several layers: a concrete pavement of 28 centimeters for primary roads and 23 centimeters for secondary roads, a 15-centimeter aggregate base course, and compacted natural ground.
The pavement is also built with a two percent slope and side ditches to ensure proper drainage.
Circumferential Road project
Earlier this month, Palawan News reported on road repairs along the Circumferential Road from Barangay Bancao-Bancao to Barangay Bagong Sikat, where residents observed that no steel was laid before concrete pouring.
Site engineer Nestor Aballa of the project contractor explained that steel was not needed because the soil had passed the FDT and the work was being closely monitored by OCE inspectors.
According to Aballa, site engineer of Hi-Tone Construction and Development Corporation, the road project they are handling does not require steel reinforcement on the soil foundation because it is already “compacted” before concrete is poured.
Hi-Tone, a company co-founded by Christopher “Kito” Co, brother of former House Committee on Appropriations chair and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, is among the construction companies said to be involved in questionable flood control projects.
Aballa added that they are also using a “Class A Concrete Mixture” for the project, which is considered the strongest mix used for “heavily reinforced structures,” including roads.
“Talagang wala ‘yan [bakal] kasi may shoulder tayo dyan at ito lang dugtungan natin sa gitna na nagko-connect sa kabilang kalsada, ‘yun ang mayroon [bakal]. Ito naman ay pasado na sa testing at may FDT siya ‘yung tinatawan nating Field Density Test. Once na pumasa ‘yan, ibig sabihin ay okay na ang base nito kahit wala na siyang bakal kasi compacted na siya, 100% compacted na siya,” Aballa explained.
“Class A ang mixture namin dito sa project na ibig sabihin ay 1-2-3 mixture, sa isang bag ng semento ay may kasamang dalawang bag ng buhangin at tatlo naman sa graba. Masyadong matapang ito [mixture] kasi malaki ang capacity dito ng mga dumadaan pero kaya naman basta talagang matapos din ang curing period na nasa isang buwan,” the site engineer added.
Netizens first noticed the absence of steel on the road under construction. Aballa clarified, based on the photos posted on social media, that the left side of the image showed a bridge that indeed required steel reinforcement for added durability.
He also explained that other road structures like “flyovers” in Metro Manila and elsewhere require steel mesh reinforcement.
The project began on March 17, 2025, and is expected to be completed by November 2026, covering more than 600 calendar working days with a budget of over ₱61.2 million under Supplemental Budget No. 2-2024 of Puerto Princesa City.
The scope of the project includes over 2.5 kilometers of the Circumferential Road, including repairs and the installation of culverts across creeks along the route.
Aballa said that as of now, one kilometer of the road has already been completed, including culvert installations, and they are on track to finish earlier than scheduled.
“Mukhang maaga kaming matatapos dahil nasa 1-kilometer na ang nagagawa namin at tapos na rin ‘yung paglalagay ng culvert sa mga may creek. ‘Yung weather lang talaga ang posibleng magpatagal sa amin and hindi rin kami magakapagbuhos ng semento pag gabi dahil nagrereklamo ‘yung mga residente sa area na maingay daw,” he said.
Mixed public reactions
The explanation from the engineering office, however, drew mixed reactions online. Some agreed that roads could remain durable without steel, noting that concrete is naturally strong in compression.
“Tama naman na hindi kailangan ng steel kung maayos ang halo at well compacted ang lupa at sapat ang kapal ng slab,” one commenter said, although he added that steel could still provide added strength.
Others pointed out the importance of proper drainage in ensuring road durability. A netizen argued that “once you have no proper drainage all of your points above become useless since the soil and the layers of gravel are the backbone for the statical integrity of such road design.”
There were also comments questioning the long-term durability of roads without rebar.
“Ang tanong kc bakit ayaw nyo gumawa ng kalsada na may bakal? Oo dun na tayo sa pwede rin yung walang bakal basta pumasa sa test nyo, pero ang tanong di hamak naman na mas matibay ang kalsada na may bakal e bakit ‘yun pa ang ayaw nyong gawin, (sic)” another resident wrote.
Some raised concerns about the quality of materials and the need for independent monitoring.
“Dapat merong Independent Engineer Panel na magkaroon ng Checking, Evaluation sa mga ginagawang Highways & Roads Projects ng ating Gobyerno para merong Check & Balance (sic),” one commenter suggested.
Meanwhile, other residents linked the issue to recurring flooding in parts of Puerto Princesa, saying that the absence of proper drainage systems in newly built roads only worsened the problem during the rainy season.
