Dredging in Estero de Parian to start soon

DREDGING works for the portion of Estero de Parian in Colon St. are set to start next week.

Cebu City Legal Officer Jerone Castillo, who heads City Hall’s Colon Revitalization Program, said they have already identified the area near the Tabo sa Banay as a bottleneck for the drainage system in the downtown area.

By next week, personnel from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-7) together with City Hall’s Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) will start dredging the area.

Aside from flooding, he said other components of the Colon Revitalization Program include security, facelifting, developing the night market area and ensuring building owners comply with building code provisions in order to withstand earthquakes.

In a tourism forum last week, US Consul John Domingo  said Cebu City can be a potential major tourist spot especially in the downtown area. But problems on traffic, garbage and shabby buildings should first be addressed by the city government.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, when sought for comment, welcomed Domingo’s observations. He admitted that these problems are a dismal reality.

“We are not taking it with blindness. We are very much aware,” Rama said yesterday.

However, he lamented that aside from the current problems, people should also learn to appreciate the changes that have been instituted in the city over the past years.

Rama just arrived from his visit in Australia for the renewal of sister city ties with the City of Parramatta in Sydney Australia.

He also attended the 117th Independence Day flag-raising ceremony there.

He reminded the Filipinos who attended the event to always be proud they are Filipinos.