TESDA-7 wall demolished

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government has started breaking down the walls of the Technical Education Skills Development Authority-7 to restore the sidewalk along Salinas Drive in Barangay Lahug.

Mayor Michael Rama led the ceremonial breaking of the old fence together with representatives from the Kahayag sa Sugbo, Movement for Livable Cebu, and the Department of Engineering and Public Works.

“This is what we call breaking a wall, paving a walk that will end up in the side and therefore recovering what belongs to the people. And that means bringing safety and security and let there be the breaking of this wall that will bring to a horizon that we will no longer be worried about accident happening to you, to us and to our parents, senior citizens and children,” he said.

TESDA has setback the fence about 2.5 meters from the road as its contribution to solve the traffic congestion in the area.

The removal of the old wall will pave the way for the establishment of a sidewalk at Salinas Drive starting from the Archbishop Reyes Avenue flyover up to the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino entrance.

Virlo Construction, Department of Public Works and Highways’ contractor, started the construction of the new fence in April. The P16.99 million construction project includes the improvement of the drainage in the area.

Rama said the construction of the new fence was already finished and that DPWH should fast track the demolition of the old fence so that the sidewalk will be utilized by the public.

Rama, TESDA, MLC, and DPWH have agreed not to remove the trees along the stretch.

“We would not be moving any trees. We will be requesting people to adjust with the trees,” Rama said, adding that the trees will be incorporated with the design of the sidewalk.

Aside from the sidewalk along TESDA, Rama said he also wants the city government to restore the sidewalk along Gorordo Avenue.

Earlier, the Kahayag sa Sugbo has identified 15 structures between a church in Barangay Lahug to JY Square that have encroached on the sidewalks.

The Kahayag sa Sugbo is the group tasked by the mayor to restore sidewalks in the entire stretch of Gorordo.

“That restoration of sidewalk will be a priority no matter what because there is a chokepoint there,” Rama said.

Asked on the status of the said undertaking, Kahayag sa Sugbo head Eli Espina said the affected families asked the Land Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to validate the survey previously conducted by the DEPW.

Espina said the survey has been completed and it confirmed the initial result of the survey that portions of at least 15 houses have encroached on the sidewalk.  (FREEMAN)