CLEARING operations in Mandaue City continue to progress as major roads have already been cleared, with teams now focusing on interior areas that were affected by recent flooding, City Administrator Gonzalo “Sally” Malig-on said.
According to Malig-on, the City initially deployed only two clearing teams from the City Engineering Office and the Department of General Services (DGS) during the first two days of operations.
However, two more private groups later volunteered to assist, bringing the total to four teams.
“So far, during the first two days, it was only the City Engineering and DGS teams working on clearing. But after the third and fourth day, two private groups joined in to help. Now, we already have four groups working together,” Malig-on said.
He said the teams have finished clearing the major roads and are now working on interior areas.
However, the narrow streets and fenced properties have posed challenges for the entry of heavy equipment.
“We’ve already completed the major roads and we’re now inside the interior areas. But the problem is that some roads are too narrow for our equipment, and in some cases, fences block the way. Those are some of the issues we’re dealing with,” he said.
Malig-on noted that complaints were received from residents in Barangays Umapad and Paknaan, which even prompted Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano to personally visit the sites.
“Mayor Ouano went to Umapad after residents raised concerns. We made sure to prioritize accessibility, especially along UN Avenue and A.C. Cortes Avenue going to Uratex, which we were able to clear in just two days,” he said.
He admitted that the initial clearing along UN Avenue was done quickly to make the road immediately passable, which left some debris still lying along the roadside. These materials, he added, were recently moved by the city’s teams and private partners.
Malig-on also mentioned that a long backhoe was deployed along Tingub Bridge to clear river debris but was later pulled out because it could no longer reach deep portions of the river.
The equipment will be transferred to Canduman Bridge for continued operations.
“Our equipment in Tingub Bridge will be moved to Canduman Bridge so that our team can check which areas are still navigable. These are big machines, so we need to position them carefully,” he said.
He added that the City’s cash-for-work program is still ongoing to help residents recover from the aftermath of the disaster.
After a meeting with barangay captains, the City decided to limit the program to three barangays, Paknaan, Umapad and Alang-Alang, where cleanup work will continue Wednesday, November 12.
“The cash-for-work program will still push through. Initially, we had planned to include five barangays, but since the situation in some areas has improved, we’ll now focus on three,” Malig-on said.
The city administrator expressed gratitude to the private groups who joined the clearing efforts, saying their pay loaders and dump trucks greatly boosted the city’s capacity to respond faster.
“After two days, Mayor Ouano assessed that we needed more manpower and equipment, so we tapped the private sector. Their help really made a big difference,” he said.
Malig-on assured residents that clearing operations will continue until all affected areas, including those in the city’s interior parts, are fully cleared and accessible. (ABC)