Help! Pembo, Makati residents trapped, isolated by road cementing project

MANILA, Philippines — How are we going to get home now?

That’s the predicament of Jhae Francisco, a resident of Barangay (village) Pembo in Makati City, which other residents are going through now after both lanes of their street were freshly cemented and became impassable.

The street was cemented as part of a road repair project.

But the cement will take days to dry up and harden and residents are figuring out how to get out or get home without being trapped into the cement mound.

In a photo she shared on Facebook on November 12, Francisco questioned why both lanes of Amapola Street were cemented at the same time.

“Paano po ngayon uuwi ang mga taga-Amapola kung buong kalsada ang sinemento nyo? Hindi ba dapat isang side muna. Tapos yung isang side ulit?” Francisco said.

(How are those living along Amapola go home if both lanes were cemented at the same time? Should it not be one lane first? Then the other?)

In a later update, Francisco said she was visited by the engineer and contractor of the project who explained to her that there are wiring issues, among others.

Engineer says integrity of road comes first

“Hindi daw po pu-pwedeng isang side lang muna ang gawin dahil pag dumaan daw po ang mixer matitibag daw po yung unang side na ginawa,” she said.

(They said they cannot just do one lane at first since the mixer would only destroy the first lane that was finished.)

Atty. Michael Camina, spokesperson of the Makati City government, said that their city engineer informed him that the road repair is a project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

He said that they have asked the DPWH to submit a report regarding the matter.

“Sabi ng engineer namin, it’s possible na… hindi pwedeng kalahati sa liit ng road–two lanes lang siya. Di naman pwedeng one lane-one lane yun kasi… kung one-day curing lang naman yan, parang hindi rin worth it na one lane lang muna gagawin mo,” Camina said.

(According to our engineer, it’s possible that only doing one lane first could not be done because the road is narrow–there are only two lanes. Doing one lane at a time may not be worth it only takes one day for the curing.)

“Most probably there were issues in the area–for the drainage–for the entire street that entailed everything isa and isang pasadahan lang ayusin,” he added.

(Most probably there were issues in the area–for the drainage–for the entire street that entailed everything to be done in one doing.)

Edited by ADBC