‘Given the exposure of the trillion-peso flood control projects and substandard infrastructure, it is easy to conclude that the P4-billion EDSA Busway is also suspect. Perhaps it is.’
EDSA Carousel buses veer out of the designated bus lane to avoid potholes along the EDSA Busway in Manila on Tuesday, following heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon.
PHOTOGRAPH BY Zedrich Xylak Madrid FOR DAILY TRIBUNE
As questions mounted over the newly rehabilitated portion of EDSA that developed pavement damage following the heavy rains, attention turned to the contractor behind the project — Readycon Trading & Construction Corp. and its documented links to the Gardiola construction group.
Readycon’s involvement in EDSA is not a new development. In 2025, the Department of Public Works and Highways-National Capital Region declared Readycon responsive and qualified for a contract covering the improvement of a section of EDSA in Quezon City.
The procurement, however, was subsequently cancelled after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the planned major EDSA rehabilitation suspended and the project scope redesigned.
The bigger question now is how Readycon figures in the current EDSA rehabilitation program and what responsibility it bears for the reported pavement failure.
A copy of a contract agreement crafted on 4 June 2026 showed the EDSA Rehabilitation of Orense Street to Monumento project was awarded to Readycon Trading and Construction Corporation via a joint venture with Dumduma Construction and Trading Corp., with a total contract price of P4,009,473,018.88.
Readycon described itself as a major road and asphalt contractor with a history dating back to 1988 and a portfolio of government infrastructure projects. It said it holds a Quadruple-A license from the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board and operates asphalt and concrete plants serving Metro Manila and surrounding regions.
Partners in C-5 projects
But Readycon’s corporate and project history also intersected with the Gardiola construction group.
Government contractor-performance records showed that Readycon Trading & Construction Corp. and E. Gardiola Construction previously worked together in joint ventures on major infrastructure projects, including the construction of the C-5 extension and a C-5 flyover project.
A 2014 government contractor-performance report listed E. Gardiola Construction, Readycon Trading & Construction Corp. and BSP & Company Inc. as a joint venture on the projects.
The connection has drawn scrutiny because the Commission on Audit (CoA) previously reported deficiencies in a C-5 Extension project involving E. Gardiola Construction and Readycon Trading & Construction Corp.
Reports summarizing the CoA findings said the undertaking covering the South Luzon Expressway–West Service Road-Sucat section was valued at approximately P578.527 million.
Auditors reported that defects identified in quality-assurance reports had not been corrected even though the contractors had received most of the contract price. The reports placed the amount paid at P553.6 million and described it as 98-percent of the contract price, although the figures should have been reconciled with the original CoA report before publication.
In a press conference in November last year, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste identified Readycon as one of two contracting firms, along with S-Ang Construction and General Trading Inc., that allegedly secured Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects linked to Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS) Partylist Rep. Edwin Gardiola in his district.
Leviste said Gardiola-linked firms secured P794-million worth of projects in his district, based on a document he obtained from the late DPWH undersecretary Catalina Cabral.
Leviste’s claims remained allegations and were referred to the now-defunct Independent Commission for Infrastructure and the Office of the Ombudsman for appropriate action.
Dizon belies claim
Reached for comment, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon disputed Leviste’s allegation that Readycon was associated with or owned by Gardiola.
“The Ombudsman is set to file charges against Gardiola,” he said.
The relevant issue is whether the contractor’s current work meets the specifications, quality standards, and contractual obligations imposed by the DPWH. Dizon said the contractor will shoulder the cost of repairing the damaged section of EDSA-Buendia.
The pavement failure occurred on the EDSA Busway lane between Estrella and Buendia, where rainwater accumulated near a catch basin and concrete barriers prevented water from reaching the drainage system on the opposite side, according to Dizon.
Dizon said the contractor, whom he did not name, would shoulder the repair cost, with no additional expense to the government.
The incident has prompted questions over whether the damage was caused solely by water accumulation or whether the asphalt’s specifications, installation, and quality control also contributed to the early deterioration.
Pavement experts generally assess asphalt performance based on several factors, including mix design, pavement thickness, compaction, installation temperature, the condition of the underlying surface and drainage.
Dizon attributed the potholes to the water that accumulated on the lowest portion of Phase 1. He said the busway barriers obstructed the flow of water toward the drainage system and ordered that the barriers be spaced farther apart to allow water to drain.
The drainage issue, however, does not in itself establish whether the pavement met the project’s specifications. Testing of the damaged section would determine whether the asphalt itself showed deficiencies or whether the deterioration was consistent with water-related damage.
Business groups urge probe
Earlier, about 30 major business groups backed the EDSA Busway, opposing its removal or opening to private and hybrid vehicles and supporting its proposed public-private partnership.
Following the emergence of potholes on the newly rehabilitated busway, Employers Confederation of the Philippines chairperson and DAILY TRIBUNE columnist Ed Lacson called for a deeper investigation.
“Given the exposure of the trillion-peso flood control projects and substandard infrastructure, it is easy to conclude that the P4-billion EDSA Busway is also suspect. Perhaps it is,” Lacson said in a Viber message.
“But a deeper investigation is needed to determine exactly what went wrong — not only to establish responsibility but also to identify the technical problems and prevent the same mistakes from happening again,” he added.
A DPWH road and bridge engineer, who requested anonymity, said asphalt can deteriorate when exposed to prolonged flooding.
“In Japan, they also experience the same problem during the rainy season. Their asphalt also peels because water is its enemy. But their government responds quickly to such problems, so repairs are completed immediately. Here, repairs can take weeks or even months,” the engineer said.
