Council questions operation of batching plant in city lot

The cement batching plant owned and operated by WTG Construction inside Block 27 of the North Reclamation Area (NRA).
(CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

The contractor of the S. Osmeña road project is operating a cement batching plant at block 27 of the North Reclamation Area (NRA) without paying any fees to the city.

“It is disadvantageous to the city to have a plant there without paying fees. A private contractor is using a public land for their benefit,” Councilor Sisinio Andales said in yesterday’s Cebu City Council session.

The plant owned and operated by WT Construction Inc. (WTCI) is handling the road concreting project along S. Osmeña Road.

Some of the firm’s officials are facing charges filed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) in court after 100 trees went missing from the road’s center island.

The trees weren’t found except for some branches that ended up as firewood. City Attorney Jerone Castillo said Regional Director Ador Canlas of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) asked Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to allow WTCI to set up the cement batching plant in block 27.

“There was no written approval from the mayor but there was a verbal approval,” Castillo told the council. WTCI counsel Alora Mae Tambasen confirmed this, saying they had a joint conference with the mayor, who agreed to have the plant set up.

But without any written order, some councilors said WTCI can’t do anything if the mayor takes back what he said.“We trust the mayor’s words,” Tambasen said.

In a letter to Rama in April 9 last year, WTCI said the mobile concrete batching plant will only be in place for less than a year. It was put up in mid-April last year.

“The WT Construction Inc. will commit to construct a road starting from Serging Osmeña Boulevard and will traverse the CITOM impounding area fronting Cebu Port Authority as per plan of the City of Cebu without any cost,” said WTCI Vice President Willy Te.

Tambasen said WTCI will start work on this road as soon as it is finished with the main road project. Andales said the city should rent the lot to WTCI since the private contractor is benefiting from the project.

“Block 27 is a city government property. We should be responsible custodians. The mayor’s action to authorize WTCI to construct the plant is disadvantageous to the city. It shows reckless disregard of the interest of the city government,” Councilor Alvin Dizon said.

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Contractor, DPWH 7: We didn’t cut any trees