Barangay gets bridge, school building

CEBU, Philippines — After several decades of waiting, the residents of Barangay San Jose finally got a new bridge and new school building on the eve of Cebu City’s 86th Charter Day celebration.

The new four-story San Jose Elementary School has 16 classrooms with a functional roof deck, said City Councilor Jerry Guardo, who chairs the City’s committee on infrastructure.

The school building costs close to P30 million.

Local School Board Head Ian Hassamal said the building construction started at during the term of the late mayor Edgardo Labella and the then Vice Mayor Michael Rama.

The construction of the school building itself took a long time to finish due to Super Typhoon Odette.

The property where the school building is constructed, however, was purchased at the time of former Mayor Tomas Osmena yet, while the conceptualization of the project was under Rama’s previous term.

San Jose Barangay Captain Joventino Ardaba could not help but be emotional seeing that his long-time dream has now turned into reality.

“Murag baynte ka tuig nakong hinuwat ani nga eskwelahan. Konsehal ko, kasagingan pa ni diri, ang barangay hall, pirti pang gamaya. Nangatiguwang na lang mi. Salamat sa tanan, labi na pag bayad sa yuta panahon ni Mayor Tommy hangtod sa pagkatukod sa eskwelahan panahon ni Mayor Labella and Mayor Rama,” Ardaba said in yesterday’s blessing of the new school.

After the blessing of the new school building, Rama and the rest of his company proceeded to the inauguration of its new bridge worth P7 million at Purok 1, still in the same barangay.

The old bridge, according to Guardo, was constructed during the time of Mayor Florentino Solon. Solon served as mayor of Cebu from 1978 to 1983.

“Ang ilang bridge, panahon pang Mayor Solon unya dugay na kayo. Unya nakabantay ko nga ang pagka-construct gi-box-type ra bitaw and murag duha ra ka culvert siguro to ang design sauna, dili na ka-accomodate sa mga dagkong truck nga mangagi. So structurally, dili na gyud ka withstand sa mga dagko na truck,” Guardo said.

After the activities in Barangay San Jose, Rama and some of the city councilors proceeded to two more barangays for the separate inauguration of new concrete roads – the 700-meter concrete road in Cabantan Street in Barangay Luz worth P7 million and the 500-meter road in Barangay Pasil worth P5 million.

Rama said that aside from the inaugurated roads yesterday, he is looking into opening a new road to ease the traffic congestion in the area in Barangay Luz while the Phase 2 in Pasil had been processed already.

Guardo said that Rama’s directive is to have concrete roads and do away with roads made out of asphalts, if possible, to be able to save on cost.

“Mao na ni ang direction ni Mayor Rama – ang road concreting. Kay mas maka-save ang city kaysa kung aspalto lang, after three 2 to 3 years, maguba na pud. Lain na pung gasto para sa maintenance,” Guardo added.

Aside from that, the city government also had a blessing for its new Cebu City Transportation Office at the South Road Properties yesterday, ahead of the 86th Cebu City Charter Day today.

There would be no work and classes in the city today.

Rama will lead the wreath-laying ceremony early today and this would be capped with a testimonial dinner in the evening in one of the hotels in the city. — GAN (FREEMAN)