| Screengrab from a contributed video
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A road in Barangay Bulacao in Talisay City was closed to motorists on Saturday morning, December 19, after it incurred damage from incessant rains brought by typhoon #VickyPH.
Barangay Captain Banjo Abastillas said that the rains may have softened its foundation causing a portion of the newly cemented road to cave in.
READ: #VickyPH damages roads, fishing boats in southern Cebu
Cement overlay on the road project was completed on Friday, December 18, the same day that Vicky affected central and southern Cebu.
Abastillas said that rainwater may have caused the ground to soften and the rocks that were used as road foundations to collapse. Some of the rocks landed on an underground pipe of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) causing this to also burst.
The water leak aggravated the softening of the ground, he added.
“Karon gicordon na sa CDRMMO ang area para masugdan nag ayo,” said Abastillas.
(CDRRMO personnel have already cordoned the area so that necessary repairs can already start.)
Since the road serves as the lone access to coastal communities in the neighboring Barangay Candulawan, Abastillas said that he already asked the project contractor to have it fixed within the day.
The road project is city-funded, he added.
Abastillas said that he also asked the contractor to put a riprap on a portion of the road project that is located close to the Bulacao River.
Since putting a riprap would take time, the contractor asked that they complete this by Monday while road repair will be done within the day.
“Ang giuna og ayo karon kay ang tubo sa MCWD. Ig ayo ato, diretso na mosunod ang backfilling sa dalan. Ang saad nila karong hapon maagian nag sakyanan,” the village chief said.
(They are now working on the repair of the busted MCWD pipe. After that the contractor will already work on the backfilling of the road. They promise to complete the repair and make the road already passable this afternoon.
Until repair works are completed, Abastillas is asking people in the area to be patient. At the same time, he is praying for a fair-weather this Saturday to help the cemented road dry faster. / dcb