‘Repaired wall will be as sturdy as a dam’

Engineers of Taft Property Ventures Development yesterday said they were “ahead of schedule” in restoring a slope protection wall that partly collapsed last April 10 in their condominium project along General Maxilom Avenue in Cebu City.

The wall will be reinforced with shotcrete and soldier piles, making it sturdier than before, they said.

All except three of 15 affected households next to the site have returned to their homes, said Taft Property project director Oscar C. Umali in a briefing with Cebu Daily News.

He said Taft would do necessary repairs of the affected houses at the edge of the property line and then restore a path walk used by residents in barangay Cogon-Ramos.

He said the company would make good its promise to complete a “7-Step Solution” approved by the Office of the Building Official to restore the damaged wall, surrounding area and move all families back to their houses within 67 days, which ends on June 17.

“OBO officials commented that the corrective measures were an overkill because soldier piles and tendon anchorage that we’re installing are similar to the engineering used in making dams,” said Umali.

He said the company would go the extra mile to assure residents the place is safe.

Taft is building a 50-floor condominium, the first of two towers for the Horizons 101 Condominium project.

The April 10 collapse of the slope protection wall due to “water saturation” was described as a “minor” incident that took place at the edge of their property and was not part of the tower itself.

“We are using state-of-the-art engineering technology in this project, so structural issues should not be a cause for concern,” said Manny Colayco, chief executive officer of Taft Property.

General manager Severino V. Gonzales Jr. said they coordinated with barangay captain Omar Durano in identifying affected households within a 10-meter buffer zone identified by the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.

“Fifteen houses were identified and residents of 11 houses in the second line from the perimeter have already returned to their homes. Only four houses were classified as critical because of their proximity to the perimeter,” said Gonzales.

“We will continue to provide support for the affected residents until they are able to move back to their homes,” said Umali.

Taft is paying for the residents’ temporary stay in a pension house and meals. /Business Reporter Aileen Garcia-Yap and Correspondent Jessa CMJ Agua