Garcia: “Asphalt storm” due to inherited backlogs

CEBU, Philippines — As Cebu City braces for what has been dubbed an "asphalt storm," Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia clarified that the projects stem from a backlog inherited from previous administrations and not because of an upcoming mid-term elections. He attributed the delays to "overwhelming requests" from barangays.

Earlier, the Cebu City Council pointed out that the surge in asphalting activities coincides with the election season. Some council members noted that these projects, proposed years ago, appear to be timed for political advantage.

Garcia, however, emphasized that the city’s roads had suffered years of neglect, with no significant asphalting projects implemented in the last three years under past administrations.

“And that is the reason why the conditions of Cebu City roads are in poor shape,” Garcia said during a press conference on Monday.

He further explained that only the route for the Sinulog 2024 Grand Parade, held at the South Road Properties (SRP), had been asphalted, leaving other streets across the city untouched.

“Karon pa lang ni sud atong asphalting. Can you imagine 80 barangays? Di na nato na mapaspas,” he remarked, noting that many roads had gone untouched for a decade.

According to Garcia, the delays were due to the high volume of requests for roadworks rather than bureaucratic inefficiencies. He pointed out that asphalt materials had already been procured and that five dedicated teams were tasked with implementing the projects.

“We are just overwhelmed by the requests,” Garcia said.

The so-called asphalt storm reportedly began in October 2024 when the Committee on Infrastructure of the Cebu City Council oversaw the implementation of a P240 million asphalting project. Though the budget had been approved in 2023, actual asphalting work only commenced in late 2024.

Councilor Jerry Guardo, Chairman of the Committee on Infrastructure, stated that P15 million of the P240 million budget remains earmarked for additional infrastructure projects, including the asphalting of basketball courts in various barangays. These would only be addressed after the city completes work on roads and bridges.

Guardo noted that most requests for asphalt overlay come from the South District and upland barangays, with limited requests from lowland areas. Specific areas such as Apas, Banilad, Talamban, and the Capitol route have also been prioritized due to multiple requests.

During a council session on December 1, 2024, concerns were raised about pending requests for asphalting projects. Some councilors observed that these initiatives tend to gain momentum only as elections approach. To address this, the council passed a resolution urging the Mayor’s Office to prioritize requests submitted by the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) and to coordinate closely with the group to avoid the projects from being used as a political tool.

The resolution, proposed by Councilor Rey Gealon, Chairman of the Traffic Management Council (TMC), sought to involve the ABC in advising the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) on priority roads for asphalting. However, ABC President Franklyn Ong expressed reservations, noting the difficulty of compiling a comprehensive list and highlighting that asphalting activities often surge a year before elections.

Ong emphasized that asphalting includes road maintenance and paving. He said that for road maintenance, several roads now have potholes, which do not necessarily need to be overlaid with asphalt for the entire stretch as it would be a waste of money. — (FREEMAN)