Rama to DPWH, WTCI: Restore S.Osmeña Blvd

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama ordered the restoration of the center island and the planting of trees to replace those “mysteriously” missing along Sergio Osmeña Boulevard.

Rama made the order during a meeting with the officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways-7 and WT Construction Inc.

“The center island has to be back at S. Osmeña Boulevard and it should not be tapered because there never was a discussion from the beginning that there will be reduction of the island,” said Rama.

Rama further directed the two agencies to create a sidewalk at the whole stretch of S. Osmeña Boulevard, which they are currently repairing.

The mayor emphasized the importance of the center island as it serves as a division of a wide road, as well as the significant purpose the trees and the sidewalk will serve.

“I was telling them that we should be seeing already a city for the people with nature; hence, we should not be just having a widened road and then we have a very bad sidewalk,” he stressed.

Rama envisions the sidewalk to bring a different landscape in the area.

“We are not building a city only for vehicles, but a city for beautiful and wide sidewalk, and even with a bike lane, with trees that can also be seen,” he said further.

In its road-widening project, the DPWH and the contractor were further tasked by Rama to also widen McArthur Bridge.

“Kay kung magdako ‘ta og dan unya ang bridge gamay, that will also be preposterous and incredulous. In a way, that has to be side by side with widening,” he said.

DPWH-7 and WTCI, nonetheless, agreed with Rama and committed to restore the center island and the trees as well as the sidewalk.

DPWH-7 told Rama it will work on his order as it also targets to beat the deadline of the ongoing port corridor road expansion project along S. Osmeña Boulevard in preparation for major events such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in 2015 and the International Eucharistic Congress in 2016.

“We made it very clearly na magtinabangay mi ani,” the mayor said.

The city government, however, supports the move of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 to file a case against those who allegedly cut and disposed of the trees deliberately.

The DENR-7 had filed a complaint before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office against WTCI officials after at least 79 trees, mostly fire trees, have gone missing. (FREEMAN)