The lives of over 100 families living under the first Mandaue-Mactan Bridge will be at risk once major repairs on the bridge go full blast. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
The long-delayed major repairs on the first Mandaue-Mactan Bridge will proceed this summer, whether the over 100 families living under it move out or not.
Contractor Jegma Construction and Development Corp. would have to provide safety measures and ensure that there will be no accidents while the local government units would have to assist in the relocation of the residents, said assistant district engineer Renult Ricardo of the Cebu 6th Engineering District Office.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which is implementing the repairs, does not have funds for the relocation or compensation of the settlers living under the bridge.
“Dili na ta mo-delay. Mangita ang contractor ug safety measures (We won’t delay it any further. The contractor will have to provide safety measures),” Ricardo said during an ocular inspection on Friday morning.
“Naa man gud na siya’y insurance, so contractor ang mo-shoulder ana. Contractor ang liable just in case naay mahitabo,” Ricardo said.
(The contractor would be liable if something happens to the residents.)
Jegma representative Chuck Lopez, who joined Ricardo, said they were still studying the safety measures that will be put in place.
“Dili man ta ka-perfect nga wala g’yuy matagak. Naa man gyud nay masayop sa atong trabahante. Naa mi i-provide nga dili lang gyud siya mahug. Anam-anamon lang og kuha ang mga debris,” he said.
(We can’t perfect it. We can’t assure that there will be no falling debris. It’s possible that a worker will make a mistake. We will just provide something to prevent any debris from falling.)
As of last count, 81 families from the Lapu-Lapu City side of the bridge will be affected while 33 families in the U-turn slot alone in the Mandaue City side need to be relocated.
ASSISTANCE
Tony Pet Juanico, Mandaue City Housing and Urban Development Office (HUDO) chief, said their stand is that the houses under the bridge would not be demolished until a relocation site has been identified and/or financial assistance has been distributed to the affected settlers.
“Definitely we can assist them in terms of unsa atong mahatag. But right now, no movement first. We have to clarify. Lisod kaayo tanan i-move out unya wala tay klarong assistance (Definitely, we will provide assistance. But let’s clarify first. We can’t move them out without any assistance),” he said.
Under the Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA), Juanico said affected residents should be given at least one month before their houses are torn down.
In Lapu-Lapu City, Mayor Paz Radaza earlier assured that the affected families will be given financial assistance.
‘SUPER DELAYED’
Danilo Pasicaran, DPWH 7 project engineer for the bridge repairs, said the project has to start this summer as instructed by DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson.
“Kung April, super delayed na man gani na (If we start in April, the project would be super delayed already),” he said.
Major repairs were supposed to be undertaken in August last year, but had to be put off because Metro Cebu hosted numerous Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings then.
The project was initially implemented on Feb. 8, but had to be postponed while the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) find ways to strengthen the support of their water line running under the bridge that supplies 50 percent of Mactan Island’s water requirements.
Lopez of Jegma said they had not factored in the presence of the settlers under the bridge when they bid for the contract to repair the bridge.
“Gi-consider namo nga wala nay balay sa ilawm. Mao sad na nga lisod sa among part as a contractor, dili mi ka-full blast sa among trabaho. Kung mag-gabii mi, makadisturbo mi sa nangatulog,” he said.
(We assumed that there will be no houses underneath. This makes our job difficult. We can’t go full blast. If we work at night, we would disturb them in their sleep.)
NOTICES
Notices have been issued asking the affected residents to move out.
Assistant district engineer Ricardo said they gave the first notice to residents affected by Phase 1 of the project last Feb. 3. The second and third notices were served on Feb. 9 and 11.
The first phase involves the construction of the U-turn slot in the Mandaue City side. Some 33 houses will be affected.
Notices have yet to be sent to the families who are likely to be hit by falling debris in Phase 2 of the project.
Ricardo said they have been coordinating with the local government unit specifically the barangay.
But Juanico said they have not been informed about the second phase of the project.
“I was so surprised maabot man diay sa tumoy (of the bridge) ang phase two,” he said.
In Lapu-Lapu City, Mayor Radaza said eviction notices had been served on the affected residents several times because the city government plans to convert the area into a Senior Citizens’ Park.
Meanwhile, Juanico said he might ask for the help of the Cebu provincial government, especially since he learned that Governor Hilario Davide III has offered a relocation site for the affected settlers.