Mandaue City Hall, DPWH failed to tell about riprap project, residents claim

Residents living in the one way road of A.S. Fortuna Extension in barangay Guizo, Mandaue City are already resigned to the presence of the stone riprap.
(CDN Photo/Anie M. Paujana)

Both the Mandaue City government and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) failed to consult the officials and residents of barangay Guizo about the riprap project that constricted a one-way road in their area.

“Nahibulong lang mi nganung naa na’y riprap, apan wala mi kalibutan ngano. Mao to gipatawag sad namo sila (We were surprised to see the riprap so we called them for a meeting),” barangay Guizo chairman Jesus Neri Jr. said.

The meeting between residents, DPWH representatives and Florentino Nimor, chief of Mandaue City Hall’s City Planning and Development Office was held last August or three months after the contractor P.B. Obial Construction started work on the stone riprap project.

Neri said many residents who questioned the construction later resigned themselves to the fact that the riprap is a national project and is already being implemented.

Neri said the residents feared that the elevation of the riprap will cause flooding in the barangay, forcing them to elevate their houses as well.

National project

He said many of them had just renovated their homes when the project started.

“In short, we were not informed. Hopefully we knew earlier. We can do nothing now but to wait and see since it is national project,” he said.

Nimor said the elevation of the road would pave the way for the installation of box culverts from A.S Fortuna St. and M.C Briones St. connecting to Guizo Creek.

He said the A.S. Fortuna Extension will be closed tomorrow to vehicles as the contractor starts placing the box culverts.

One of the residents, 18-year-old Zam Mendoza,  confirmed that no public hearing was held on the project.

Compensation

He said water pipes and faucets should have been transferred before the project started.

During last Wednesday’s press conference at the Mandaue City Council session hall, Engr. Nelmar Duruy, DPWH project inspector, said the residents knew of the project.

However Neri said Duruy referred to last August’s meeting that was held three months after the project started.

Three houses are set to be  demolished for the construction.

Neri confirmed that during the meeting the owners were asked to visit Mandaue City Hall’s Housing and Urban Development Office (HUDO) to receive compensation.

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