CEBU, Philippines - Representatives of Oaminal Construction have assured to hasten the completion of a road concreting project starting in Barangay Mactan up to Barangay Maribago in Lapu-Lapu City in response to the number of complaints raised with respect to the project's delayed implementation.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza told reporters that during their weekly coordination meeting with the contractor and officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways, the construction firm vowed to fast-track the concreting of the road linking the two mentioned barangays.
Her office has reportedly received a number of complaints from different resorts operating within the area whose business has been affected by the sluggish pace of concreting.
Hembler Mendoza, head of the Lapu-Lapu City Tourism Office confirmed to reporters that there have been a number of complaints raised by the visiting tourists.
Mendoza said beach resort and hotel owners informed him that their operations were affected because of the road problem.
The road concreting project from Mactan up to Maribago is part of the improvement of Mactan Circumferential Road and it started early last year.
Meanwhile, the Lapu-Lapu City government warned public utility companies to first secure a permit before they can conduct diggings on the national, city and barangay roads.
Radaza said they are strictly requiring utility firms like the Metro Cebu Water District and Philippine Long Distance Telephone, among others, to secure the necessary documents.
Radaza admitted that before, city and barangay roads sustained damages from unsanctioned diggings made by some public utilities.
The city mayor said to avoid repetition of the problem, the city engineering office is now requiring the utilities concerned to secure the necessary permits.
Radaza further said the city engineers are closely monitoring the firms' activities to make sure that they comply with all the requirements based on the permit issued to them.
Road diggings, The FREEMAN learned, have been made by some public utility companies not only in Lapu-Lapu but also in the cities of Mandaue and Cebu, but these firms reportedly failed to repair the damaged roads. (FREEMAN)