72 barangay chiefs want flyovers

BEFORE a hall filled with Cebu City barangay captains, father and daughter yesterday thanked officials for supporting plans to build two more flyovers in the city.

“More than adequate discussions on the issue of the flyover have been made in the past weeks,” said Raul del Mar.

“But what is the truth? Maayo ba ang flyover?”

“Maayo,” the crowd replied.

His daughter Rep. Cutie del Mar of the north district also thanked them.

A total of 72 of 80 barangay captains in Cebu City signed a manifesto of support for the projects proposed along Gorordo Avenue and M.J. Cuenco Avenue worth P300-million each.

The manifesto was circulated in yesterday’s assembly of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) held in a Lapu-Lapu City beach resort.

It was signed by all 46 north district barangay captains and 26 from the south.

Raul said this was on top of over 30,000 signatures that they gathered from north district residents who support their flyover projects.

Tejero barangay captain Jesselou Cadungog showed up in a yellow T-shirt with the front and back marked: “Kap Cadungog yes to flyover.” Raul thanked him for more than 2,000 signatures of support from Tejero residents.

“Kuwang pa gani na, Congressman,” Cadungog replied.

Cutie told CDN the signature campaign was started last month by businessmen who supported her flyover projects.

Most of the talking in the ABC forum about the flyover issue was done by Raul, a a former three-term congressman.

He said people shouldn’t worry about about inconveniences during the flyover construction because Cutie had asked DPWH to prevent any delays.

Raul disagreed with observations that flyovers made the location “ugly” and adds to air pollution.

He said that air quality remains the same even if a flyover project is built in a certain road. He said the volume of vehicles on a road remain the same whether or not a flyover is built there.

Raul said the two new proposed flyovers are part of a network of flyover projects he started to implement in Cebu City north district when he was the congressman.

He cited the three flyovers in Banilad near Ma. Luisa Subdivsion, the Tesda intersection, and near Ayala Mall in Archbishop Reyes Avenue.

The fourth will be the one beside the Asilo dela Milagrosa. A fifth will rise along M.J. Cuenco Avenue near the Carreta cemetery.

He admitted that flyovers alone won’t solve traffic congestion. He told barangay captains that he already funded the widening of F. Cabahug Street and Salinas Drive from San Jose dela Montana Road in Mabolo to Lahug when he was still district representative.

Representative Del Mar also got a P150-million funding for the widening of the Banilad Road while another P180 million is scheduled for release next year for the widening of M. J. Cuenco Road to barangay Mabolo.

“Pero ug naa ang funding sa flyover, ato pa gyud di ay paabuton ang funding sa road widening usa nato ni i-implement?”

Master plan

Meanwhile, Cutie said she wrote Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas to ask his help in getting a transport master plan for Metro Cebu made to update the Metro Cebu Land Use and Transport Study (MCLUTS), which was made in the 1970s.

“The preparation of a successor plan to MCLUTS is long overdue,” she said in her Sept. 26 letter.

Most of the MCLUTS recommendations have been done, such as the Mandaue Reclamation Project and the South Reclamation Project, new road links and better traffic management.

“Since MCLUTS was a project of the Department of Transportation and Communications, may I request your good office to conduct another round of transportation planning and traffic management study for Metro Cebu to encompass the 13 cities and municipalities from Carcar in the south to Danao City in the north,” said Representative Del Mar’s letter.

The master plan, she said, is expected to cost P30 million.

It would cover the preparation of a strategic plan that would guide developments in Metro Cebu until 2030.   Chief of reporters DORIS C. BONGCAC