Firm ‘causing’ road potholes, mishaps

CEBU, Philippines – A resident of Barangay Looc, Mandaue City has appealed to the city government to recall the variance permit issued to a freight company operating in their area for allegedly causing accidents and damages on the road.

Dr. Danilo Dionson is asking in particular the Office of the Mayor and the City Council to cancel the permit of Philippine Multimodal Freight Services Inc. (PMFSI), citing the bumpy road in their locality that he attributed to the firm's operations.

"Guba na kaayo among dan diri. Dugay na ming nihangyo sa City Council ug sa Office of the Mayor nga i-recall ang variance permit sa kompanya, pero wa man gihapon sila'y gihimo," said Dionson.

("We have badly damaged roads here. We have long asked the City Council and the Office of the Mayor to recall the variance permit of the company but they have not acted on the request until now".)

Dionson claimed that 20- to 40-footer vans operated by PMFSI pass by J.M. Ceniza Street in Looc at least 20 times everyday. This, he said, caused the cracks on the road and flooding during rainy days.

In a letter dated January 15, 2015 addressed to Looc Barangay Captain Ceasar Cabahug, Dionson expressed his opposition to granting business permit and barangay clearance to the company.

"You can find big OPASCOR (Oriental Port and Allied Services Corp.) van yard near (a big mall at the North Reclamation Area) where they can transfer their operations to their hearts' content. Frankly, we don't need their presence," his letter read.

Cabahug's office transmitted the complaint to the office of Mayor Jonas Cortes on January 21, 2015 and the same complaint was forwarded to the council presiding officer, Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede on February 10, 2015.

But Dionson said no action was taken so far.

He also said that since the company rented a portion of a private lot in the area and turned it into a shipyard, there have been at least four accidents there that involved the company's container vans.

The last incident, according to him, took place on November 25 last year when a 58-year-old man was side-swept by a container van hired by PMFSI. The man reportedly sustained injuries.

Dionson further argued that PMFSI should be moved to another location since the area is currently classified as a residential zone. The firm, he maintained, should therefore be transferred to a commercial zone.

The FREEMAN yesterday tried to reach Florentino Nimor, coordinator of the City Planning and Development Office, to give his comment on the matter but he did not return the calls and text messages. (FREEMAN)