Cebu City dad: Road widening in Talamban to Pit-os urgent

Cebu City Councilor Jerry Guardo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Jerry Guardo is appealing to the city’s executive department to hasten the road widening in Barangay Talamban to solve the traffic in the Talamban, Bacayan, and Pit-os areas.

Guardo delivered a privilege speech during their regular session on July 21, 2021, and appealed to the executive department to push through with the planned road widening in the said areas as the project has long been delayed.

“Mr. Chairman, It seems that, for now, the worsening traffic in Talamban going to Pit-os area is inevitable. The planned Road Widening project from Talamban, Bacayan to Pit-os was already long overdue. Initially, about 98 percent of structure affected by the said project were already been paid for and settled by the city government,” said Guardo.

The city once earmarked around P97,657,456 pesos for the road right of way (ROW) acquisition under account no. 9999-50701010-07-2014 (Land- Lot Acquisition affected by the Widening of Road from Talamban Sports Complex to Sitio Centro in Brgy Pit-os Roads) with an unspent balance of P91,076,816.00 as of July 21, 2021. 

In a courtesy meeting with the incumbent district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), two weeks ago, the councilor found out that there was already an agreement between the city government and DPWH during the previous administration that the city will take care for the ROW acquisition while DPWH will fund for the civil works of the project.

During the meeting, DPWH presented the proposed 20-meter wide road with the sidewalk, including the curve and gutter, and a drainage system on both sides, thus converting the road into 4-lanes from the existing 2-lanes.

The said project will be implemented by stage or phase subject to the availability of funds starting with Phase One: the Talamban widening, Phase Two: Bacayan widening, and Phase Three: Pit-os widening. 

Guardo added that in a meeting last July 5, 2021, the private owners affected said they will be willing to shoulder the services of the private surveyor, capital gain, and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) tax.

Likewise, the affected lot owners requested that the recent appraisal valuation per square meters set by our City Appraisal Committee per Resolution no. 05 series of 2021 last March 10 will be used as a basis for the payment of their property with the price in Talamban at P12,662.00 per square meter, Bacayan at P5,616.00 per square meter, and Pit-os at P3,616.00 per square meter. 

“Mr. Chairman, this road widening project should be considered as our priority, owing to the fact that initial engagement has already been made and commitments are already there,” said the councilor. 

The City Council agreed with Guardo and deemed the matter urgent and has forwarded their requests to the executive department in multiple resolutions.

For one, the Council requested the DPWH and city’s Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) to conduct a joint parciliary survey in the affected lots within the ROW of the proposed road widening and this must be submitted by August 30, 2021.

The Council additionally requested the DPWH to fund the construction, road concreting, and civil works for the said project. 

The Council has also requested the DWUP to conduct an updated socio-economic survey of the affected residents for assistance purposes and the City Accounting to help hasten the process of the claimant resident by giving them a checklist of the requirements. 

Guardo hopes that the project will continue from where it left off so that the traffic in the area will finally be resolved.

/bmjo