CAGAYAN DE ORO City Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya aired his disappointment over the alleged failure of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to install warning signs in construction areas, causing a major traffic problem along C.M. Recto Avenue in Barangay Lapasan.
He said the DPWH is required by law to put up signs or billboards that should indicate the type and duration of the project.
Another violation, he said, was the DPWH's failure to collaborate with the Cagayan de Oro City Government before the project implementation.
He said the DPWH and the city should come up with a joint plan of the projects and implement it on a "phase by phase basis, rather than all at the same time.”
Meanwhile, a concerned citizen, Arthur Aranas, wrote to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar through the latter's agency email to air his grievance over another DPWH project that is causing heavy traffic in the uptown area. SunStar Cagayan de Oro was furnished a copy of the email.
Aranas attached photos of the project along Mastersons Avenue, between SM Uptown and Kilometer 5, and lamented that for several days, nobody worked on the supposed "drainage bypass.”
"This irresponsible conduct of work is causing very heavy traffic along Masterson Avenue and the residents of uptown Cagayan de Oro, as half of the busy road is blocked by this abandoned project. Is someone monitoring the progress and execution of DPWH projects in Cagayan de Oro?” Aranas wrote.
Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno asked the public to be patient with the ongoing DPWH works and instead cooperate. He advised the motorists and commuters to adjust.
He said the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) is doing its best to minimize the traffic inconvenience, but pointed out that this is unavoidable.
"Kinahanglan nato na para ma-improve nato, kung dili sad nato buhaton, magreklamo mo (We need these projects for improvement. If we don't do anything, you complain). These projects are overdue, wala man gani tay pondo, pero salamat nga naa ang DPWH, national government (we don't even have funds for these projects, and we thank the DPWH, national government for funding it)," he said.
"Alang ingnon nimo na ayaw sa, mag-antos lang (We can't tell them to stop, so we have to endure), just have to cooperate, anyway that's only temporary," he added.