APOLOGY: The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 has put up huge signboards (inset) on both sides of the road to apologize for the flooding of the Mambaling underpass that happened on March 31, 2021. It said its suction pumps had failed to work, with one even burning out. Heavy rains in the early morning of March 31 inundated the underpass, which was opened for public use in June 2019 and built for P800 million, making it impassable for hours. DPWH blamed the indiscriminate throwing of plastic waste, which clogged the drainage of the underpass. Photo above shows the condition of the Mambaling underpass in Cebu City on April 8, 2021. (Photo by Amper Campaña)
SOME 80 structures along the Mambaling underpass will be demolished once the Department of Public Works and Highways Central Visayas (DPWH 7) begins to implement its P16.7 million road widening project that comes with a drainage system.
This as DPWH 7 obtained writs of possession for around 200 meters of private property in the area.
DPWH 7 Director Edgar Tabacon said once property owners vacate their lots, the DPWH 7 will immediately schedule the demolition of existing structures.
DPWH lawyer Dean Martin Padoga who is in charge of the expropriation cases for the acquisition of the affected properties said while the DPWH 7 already acquired the writ of possession for the properties, the court has, so far, only served half of them.
“There are some who have not been served (the writ) by the court sheriff because they have a lot of reasons. First is the lockdown because of Covid so they said they are not prepared,” said Padoga in Cebuano.
He said various residential and commercial structures in the area will be affected by the road right of way (RROW) acquisition.
Padoga said the DPWH already sent a letter to the court to follow up on the service of the writs.
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