The Department of Public Works and Highways Cebu 6th District Engineering Office defended its asphalt overlay project along A.S. Fortuna Street in Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City, explaining it is preventive maintenance to seal invisible micro-cracks and prevent structural collapse.
Engineer Gumer Castillo apologized to Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano and Representative Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon for failing to coordinate or seek prior permission before beginning the project on June 11, which is scheduled to conclude on August 27, 2026.
The Mandaue City Government clarified that the national highway asphalt overlay implemented directly by the Department of Public Works and Highways is completely separate from the city's ongoing local drainage improvement project in the area.
ADDRESSING growing public criticism over infrastructure spending, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Cebu 6th District Engineering Office defended its ongoing asphalt overlay project along A.S. Fortuna Street in Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City.
The agency explained that the intervention is a necessary step to protect the national road from severe structural failure.
The official explanation comes after motorists and local residents questioned why heavy roadworks were being conducted on a concrete road that appeared to be in good condition.
Preventive maintenance
Engineer Gumer Castillo, chief of the DPWH Cebu 6th District Engineering Office, clarified that the project is part of the agency’s regular road maintenance program. Castillo said the project was launched following an official road inventory and technical assessment carried out by the DPWH Central Office, which categorized that specific stretch of A.S. Fortuna St. as being in “fair condition,” making it a prime candidate for preventive maintenance.
Castillo said surface appearances can deceive commuters. While the street looks intact on top, engineers detected micro-cracks across the concrete. If left unsealed, rainwater seeps into the fissures, eroding and softening the road base. Combined with the heavy volume of freight trucks and commercial traffic, the damage could escalate into structural collapse.
“We need to prevent further damage to the concrete. There are already cracks that are not immediately visible while driving, which allow water to seep through and soften the base. With heavy trucks constantly passing through, the cost of fixing it later would be far greater than the cost of preventive maintenance now,” Castillo said.
Minimal disruption
He added that applying an asphalt layer over concrete is standard engineering protocol for road preservation. Choosing asphalt over full concrete reconstruction minimizes public inconvenience, as asphalt requires no prolonged curing time. According to DPWH engineers, freshly compacted asphalt can accommodate vehicle traffic one hour after application, allowing normal traffic flow to resume quickly.
“This is our standard procedure for preventive maintenance on existing concrete roads. It allows us to work within the day and by tomorrow, the road is fully usable again,” Castillo said. “It is quick to execute and creates far less disruption for the public.”
By comparison, replacing concrete roads involves deep base preparation and an extensive curing process that can shut down lanes for up to seven days. The current project began June 11 and is scheduled to wrap up by Aug. 27, 2026.
Lack of coordination
Beyond justifying the project’s technical merit, Castillo acknowledged a major oversight regarding local governance: the district engineering office failed to coordinate with or notify the City Government before heavy machinery moved onto the site. Castillo apologized to local officials and residents for the breakdown in communication, noting that the district office acted under mandates from the DPWH Central Office to accelerate national road maintenance operations.
“We sincerely ask for forgiveness from the local government unit because we were not able to seek prior permission,” Castillo said. “We also apologize to Mayor Thadeo Jovito ‘Jonkie’ Ouano and Representative Emmarie ‘Lolypop’ Ouano-Dizon and we ask for their understanding regarding our situation. We assure them that all future infrastructure projects will be properly coordinated with the City Government in advance.”
Separate projects
In response to public confusion, the City Government issued a clarification to help citizens distinguish between overlapping road projects in the area. Following inquiries and complaints from motorists, the Office of the Mayor, through the City Information Office, clarified that the national highway asphalt overlay is independent of local infrastructure work.
“Mayor Jonkie would like to clarify to the public that this asphalt overlay is being implemented directly by the DPWH and is completely separate from the ongoing drainage improvement project being conducted by the Mandaue City Government in the area,” the City statement said. / ABC