PamCham leads talks on Jasa road updates, concerns

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PamCham), through its Infrastructure Directorate headed Bong D. Mah, led the panel discussion on the status of rehabilitation works along the section of the Jose Abad Santos Avenue (Jasa) in this capital city.

Mah told Sun.Star Pampanga that the meeting is in anticipation of the coming holiday season when shoppers will most likely converge at the two big malls in Pampanga where road constructions have yet to be finished.

PamCham requested DPWH 1st Pampanga Engineering District Officer Engr. Oscar Erese for a status update on the road rehabilitation at that portion of Jasa.

Also invited in the meeting held last October 8 at PamCham’s office were SM and Robinson’s mall managers, Lana Erroba and Arch. Oliver Gadia; Arch. Emmanuel Malig of EML Construction, CSFP Habitat and City Legal Office Atty. Ramsey Ocampo, CSFP Traffic Management Department head Renato Pineda, and Mexico Traffic officer SPO3 Renato Sese.

Engr. Erese noted that the concrete paving of the particular portion of Jasa is already 100 percent complete and as soon as the weather clears up to allow finishing, the north and south approaches as well as the shoulder at the SM mall side will be asphalted.

“Robinson Starmills side however will still wait for funding approval as a result of the concrete shoulder pavement proposal submitted by the DPWH to their national office. The public works officer assured PamCham that patching of pot and mud holes, wherever and whenever necessary, will be done to help lighten traffic congestion in the area,” Mah said.

The meeting yielded the following agreements from both the malls and the public works: that the former will proceed with the concrete paving of the shoulder at the Robinson Starmills side as soon as the funding is approved.

DPWH will also assist SM in the laying and compacting of gravel and sand at the road’s shoulder pending its final asphalting to ease traffic flow.

Also, a U-Turn slot will be opened after the pedestrian overpass in front of the Petron Gasoline station at the Robinson Starmills side for Mexico bound vehicles, while concrete barriers will be lowered as soon as the road approaches are asphalted.

Mah said the DPWH will also consult with their national office regarding the budget for drainage de-silting and maintenance at the Jasa to avoid flooding along the area.