Cebu authorities shut Manipis road amid persistent rockslides, soil erosion

Map of Cebu City.

CEBU CITY — The traditional access road towards the west coast of Cebu island has been closed “indefinitely” after rockslides and soil erosion continue to cover the highway even after the weather in the province improved.

City of Talisay Traffic Operations and Development Authority chief Jonathan Tumulak said the Manipis road continues to be “perilous to motorists” as rocks fall from time to time.

The road is being used, not just by buses and passenger vans, but also by cargo trucks which are often headed to the Toledo City wharf en route to Negros island.

Tumulak appealed to motorists to instead take alternative routes to avoid any untoward incidents.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is conducting an ongoing clearing operation on the Manipis road but rocks continue to fall.

Engineers from DPWH-7 are still drafting measures on how to speed up the clearing operations although the continuing solid movement is hampering their plans.

The Manipis Road in Talisay City was first closed during the heavy downpour prior to Tropical Depression Lannie. The road was cleared after the storm but a few days later, boulders and soil covered the road again.

Authorities blame the daily rains experienced in Metro Cebu to be the cause of the soil erosion and landslides in Manipis.

Other access roads to Toledo include the Cebu City-Balamban trans central highway as well as the Naga-Uling road to Toledo City. These roads, however, consume more travel time compared to the Manipis road.