Chan to Lapu-Lapu Council: Hold special session to tackle Storm Odette preparations, skyway project

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan is requesting the City Council to hold a special session to discuss preparations for the coming “Storm Odette” as well as the skyway project. | Futch Anthony Inso

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan has requested the city council to conduct a special session on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, to prepare for the coming of “Typhoon Odette”, which is expected to landfall in the middle of this week. 

“I would like to request the passage of a resolution declaring a ‘State of Preparedness’ in the City of Lapu-Lapu,” read the mayor’s letter to Vice Mayor Celedonio “Celsi” Sitoy. 

The Vice mayor’s office received the mayor’s letter at 9 a.m. on Monday, December 13. 

“Walay komo sa paglikay o pagpangandam (There is no harm in avoiding danger or preparing for it),” Chan said as the city prepares for the upcoming storm.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) is currently assessing the threat of this typhoon as relief positioning is already in place, in case island barangays will be cut off from the mainland Mactan due to big waves.

Aside from this, Chan also said he would want the city council to discuss again in their special session the resolution authorizing the mayor to sign a joint venture agreement (JVA) between the City of Lapu-Lapu and LLEX Corporation for the skyway project.

Chan said that the expressway would help in easing the traffic in the city, as it would complement the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway or the third bridge, which is expected to open in the first quarter of next year. 

“The mayor is anticipating the opening of the 3rd bridge nga mo-worsen ang traffic sa Lapu-Lapu city because it will pass the narrow road in Babag, Kalawisan, Canjulao, Gun-ob and the other will pass Marigondon. So the volume of the vehicles will add up on those areas,” he said.

(The mayor is anticipating the opening of the 3rd bridge that traffic will worsen in Lapu-Lapu City because it will pass the narror road in Babag, Kalawisan, Canjulao, Gun-ob and the others will pass Marigondon. So the volume of the vehicles will add up on those areas.)

Chan said the only way to solve this sudden increase in traffic volume would be to have this P34.8 billion skyway or LLEX. 

He said LLEX would be at no cost to the City, an income-generating venture because the City would have a share in the toll collections, and could boost the economy in Lapu-Lapu and the entire province of Cebu. 

He said this would be the first skyway outside Metro Manila and the first here in the Visayas and Mindanao.

When the mayor earlier sought the Council’s authority to sign the JVA last December 10, the councilors opposed to his administration questioned provisions of the agreement.

Opposition Councilor Michael Dignos questioned LLEX tax exemption and the absence of prior consultation with barangays where the skyway would pass. 

“Mao ni kinahanglan, nga mo agni ta og mga investors para mo-bubo og puhonan sa mga problema nga atong gi-atubang karon, we must give tax incentives,” he added.

(This is what we need, that we win over investors who will pour their capital to solve our the problems we are facing now, we must give tax incentives.)

Chan said he hoped that Dignos would attend the session tomorrow, that would start at 10:00 a.m., as the proponent of the project, Premium Megastructures, Inc., Ulticon Builders, Inc., and MTD Philippines, Inc., would also attend the special session.

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