Finally, the seawall along Roxas Boulevard can once again offer an excellent spot for viewing Manila Bay’s famous sunset.
An official of the Department of Public Works and Highways said the five-month repair of the 1.4-km seawall is expected to be finished this week, after it was damaged by Typhoon “Pedring” in September last year.
The repairs had to be rushed in the past few weeks in time for the upcoming annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank at the Philippine International Convention Center, according to Reynaldo Tagudando, director of the DPWH-National Capital Region.
The seawall was rebuilt to the tune of P94 million, which far exceeded the initial estimated cost of P81 million, Tagudando said.
He said the increase was largely due to the additional work that made the seawall “bigger and stronger. The (new) structure was designed to turn back the waves.” Boulders or “armor rocks,” for example, were brought in from Bataan, Cavite, and Quezon provinces to make the new seawall more stable, he said.
On Monday, the DPWH will turn over the site to the Manila city government for the final touches, such as landscaping and lighting installations, he added.