Mandaue traffic board urges barangays to ban wake tents on public roads
A tent is set up on a road in Barangay Mantuyong, Mandaue, for a resident’s wake. | 📸: Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The Mandaue City Traffic Board has urged barangay captains to refrain from setting up tents on public roads during wakes.
This issue was among the topics discussed during the board’s meeting on Wednesday, March 26. Concerns were raised about tents placed on public roads, particularly during wakes and other barangay activities, as they reportedly obstruct traffic and cause disruptions.
The board has requested the Liga ng mga Barangay to relay this appeal to barangay captains.
Hyll Retuya, head of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM), shared that they have received complaints regarding the matter. He explained that some residents living near the road lack sufficient space at home, prompting them to extend onto the road during wakes.
“Honestly grabe (traffic), interference man ni gud. It will practically impede the flow of traffic when we speak ingun ana butang og tent especially kung naa sa highway, magbutang gyud mi (enforcer). Maguba amoang set up kay magdeploy naman mi additional reinforcement, mobile ug personnel,” said Retuya.
(Honestly, traffic congestion becomes severe. This causes interference—it practically impedes the flow of traffic when tents are placed, especially along highways. We are forced to deploy additional enforcers, mobile units, and personnel to manage the situation.)
In response, the board has recommended that barangay captains consider alternative venues, such as the barangay chapel or underutilized rooms in the barangay hall, to accommodate these events. This would eliminate the need to use public roads, particularly for residents with limited space at home.
Retuya also emphasized that in cases where setting up a tent on the road is unavoidable, barangay officials should deploy barangay tanods to manage traffic flow and ensure the safety of attendees.
The Traffic Board is planning another meeting to further discuss the issue and explore potential solutions. One suggestion is to restrict tent setups to specific hours, such as only during the night, since wake vigils typically last for nine days.
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