Mayor slams asphalt overlay

BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia objected the asphalt overlay project of the Public Works department along Lacson Street but city lone district Representative Anthony T. Golez Jr., who funded the project, insisted that it is necessary.

In his letter to DPWH Bacolod OIC District Engineer Reynaldo Ventura, Leonardia said Lacson Street has no apparent defect.

The mayor said Lacson Street has been in existence for decades, which proves its durability, and there is no apparent cause for major repairs.

He said Lacson Street is known as the “Tourism Strip” and its road quality contributes positively to the business climate in the area. It is also a part of the major road network that serves as the entrance to the city for people coming from the Bacolod-Silay airport and northern parts of the province.

“As we see it, your office might have used valuable resources where they are not exactly needed. Though we do not normally oppose projects implemented by your office, we believe that one of our primordial concerns is also the prudent use of funds for the right priorities,” the mayor said.

“With due respect, this, for us, is a case of a wrong sense of priority because there are other areas in Bacolod where that kind of money is much more needed and for sure, we all agree we cannot afford to waste government project funds,” Leonardia told Ventura.

He added that Lacson is prone to flooding, partly because of the outmoded and inadequate drainage system along this national road.

He said the reported project cost of P10 million could have gone a long way to address the flooding problem.

“We have seen the disastrous results of the asphalt overlay that was done along San Juan Street in Barangays 1 and 2 about two years ago. There are now many potholes in what was once a pothole-free area. We are afraid that Lacson Street might meet the same fate, so that what used to be a smooth ride in that street for decades now, in a matter of months might become also problematic,” Leonardia said.

Meanwhile, Golez said the asphalt overlay is a preventive maintenance work to protect the road along Lacson Street. Such maintenance project is done all over the world, he said.

“Only the mayor complained about it; other people even appreciated it,” he said. (Carla N. Canet)