Mayor Rama claims works have no permits: MCWD told: Stop diggings

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has ordered the stoppage of any digging projects of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) that he said will only add up to the traffic congestion in the city.

Rama announced the order after he assured that the remaining civil works of the second skywalk along Osmeña Boulevard this week will not cause traffic inconvenience to the public.

Last week, horrendous traffic was experienced when a portion of Osmeña Boulevard was closed due to the removal of the first of two skywalks that will be affected by the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project.

Heavy traffic was also experienced last Friday along Gorordo Avenue, reportedly due to some MCWD work.

With this, Rama said all MCWD diggings along the city's main roads should stop immediately.

“All MCWD diggings should be stopped. Because it is also disturbing the road. Didto sa Busay, I was looking at it, my God, mora naman silag tag-iya sa dalan,” said Rama.

Rama disclosed that the diggings do not have permits from the city government.

“Way mga permit. So palihog lang, that’s my direction,” said Rama.

Rama said MCWD should coordinate with the city government first to ensure that in the morning, steel plate is placed on top of the site. He said civil works are supposed to continue in the evening.

“Dili kay magbutang silag obstruction nya kita mao’y ma purwesyo, unsa man na nya wa rabay mga permit I was told, enough is enough,” said Rama.

In a separate interview, Minerva Gerodias, spokesperson of MCWD, told reporters that MCWD has no ongoing digging projects around Cebu City according to their production department.

The recent digging activity along Gorordo Avenue, Gerodias explained, was a leak repair according to their Pipelines and Appurtenances Department (PAMD).

“Kinahanglan mang kubkobon kay nabuslot man ang tubo. Kung dili nato i-repair ang leak eventually modako ang leak, mohinay ang pressure so ma-affected ang water supply sa consumers,” she said.

She cited another possible effect if the leak is not repaired is the loss of revenue on MCWD’s part since the cost of non-revenue water will not be charged to the consumers.

Further, Gerodias stressed that as per the PAMD, it has been the basic protocol of their department to acquire a permit before implementing any diggings.

As of present, Gerodias said that they do not have any ongoing digging activities.

She said that they may have expansion projects with winning bidders but these were not implemented since the contractors haven’t acquired permits yet.

“So according to our production, wala nami ongoing bidding karon. Kanang pipe-laying, wala na karon kay among winning bidders, mga contractors namo, nag process pa sa ilang permits, so wala pa nahatagan,” she added.

As for the activity mentioned by Rama in Barangay Busay, Gerodias said it is road restoration work by their contractor, JFAP Constructions. — (FREEMAN)