THE Bacolod City Council approved a resolution asking Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar for a diversion road from Barangay Taloc, Bago City leading to the Bacolod Economic Highway.
The resolution was authored by Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr.
Gamboa said that in order to decongest heavy traffic along Araneta Street from Barangay Sum-ag to Cegasco, and Barangay Pahanocoy, there is a need to create and build a diversion road leading to the Bacolod Economic Highway.
He said the 21-kilometer Bacolod Economic Highway will cover areas in Barangays Sum-ag, Cabug, Felisa, Handumanan, Mansilingan, Estefania, Granada, Mandalagan, and Bata.
“DPWH is solely vested with the mandate to be the state’s engineering and construction arm who is responsible for the planning, designing, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure facilities especially national highways, flood control water resources development system, and other public highways,” he added.
Meanwhile, Councilor Sonya Verdeflor also urged the City Legal Office-Enforcement Team and the Bacolod City Police Office to strictly implement City Ordinance (CO) No.08-15-724, an ordinance prohibiting the sale or transfer of firecrackers and pyrotechnics to minors below 18-years-old, and impose appropriate fines and penalties to violators thereof.
Verdeflor said the aforesaid prohibition is pursuant to the 1987 Philippine Constitution particularly Section 1 of the Bill of Rights and Section 16 of Republic Act 7160, which provides that the state will ensure the promotion of the general welfare of the people and instill health consciousness among them.
She said the CO 08-15-724 stipulates that establishments and store owners are mandated to prohibit the selling and transferring of any kind of firecrackers and pyrotechnics to minors below 18-years-old. (MAP)