SEVERAL establishments along Tulip Drive, Talomo in Davao City are facing great challenges as the 204-day road closure, which began on February 5, 2025, continues to disrupt their business operations. The prolonged closure, aimed at improving road infrastructure and addressing traffic safety concerns, has led to reduced foot traffic, delayed deliveries, and mounting frustrations for local business owners.
Tulip Drive, located near the heart of downtown Davao City, is a vibrant and bustling thoroughfare known for its lively atmosphere and diverse range of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
This busy street is home to a rich mix of hundreds of businesses that cater to both locals and tourists, making it an essential hub for commerce and daily activity in the city.
Following the road closure, SunStar Davao reached out to three local businesses in the area to gather insight into how the disruption has affected their operations. Each of the owners expressed significant concerns about the decline in sales, as well as the lack of communication and coordination from the city regarding the construction and its impact on their businesses.
Bos Coffee, located in The Compound, expressed surprise and frustration upon learning about the ongoing road closure. According to Ricky Deloy, the store supervisor, the coffee shop had no prior knowledge of the closure until they saw the announcement on Facebook.
"Wala mi kabalo sa balita. Wala pud mi nadawat nga communication sa city and wala mi kabalo nga muabot ni (We were completely blindsided by the news. There was no communication from the city, and we had no idea this was coming),” Deloy shared.
The unexpected disruption has had a noticeable impact on the business, with Deloy noting that their daily sales have been unusually low.
"Sa sales, medyo nagbaba sya which is panagsa ra mahitabo sa amoa but dili man noon mi mag-stop sa amoang operation. Open gihapon mi to cater to customers” (Our sales have decreased a bit, which is something that rarely happens to us, but we won’t stop our operations. We are still open and continue to cater to our customers) he said.
Deloy further emphasized that the lack of coordination and communication from the city has left the business unprepared for the challenges posed by the closure, making it difficult to adapt and recover.
Meanwhile, Clean Cafe, which has more than 15 employees, shared a similar sentiment. Arnica Maira, the restaurant supervisor, explained that their sales, which are usually high, have dropped significantly due to the ongoing road closure.
"Normally, we experience steady and strong sales, but now they've decreased by half," Maira said without disclosing the amount for confidential and privacy purposes. "This situation has had a substantial impact on our business. With fewer people able to easily access the cafe, we’ve seen a noticeable decline in foot traffic, which directly affects our sales."
On the other hand, Chelle Ann, the 36-year-old store supervisor of Romantic Baboy's Tulip Drive branch, mentioned that while their sales have not been significantly affected, they were still caught off guard by the road closure.
“Nakuratan mi sa pagsira, pero salamat, ang among sales nagpabilin nga stable” (We were surprised when we found out about the closure, but thankfully, our sales have remained stable),” Chelle Ann said.
She added that while the closure has caused some disruption, they are confident that their loyal customers will continue to visit, and they are committed to maintaining business as usual.
Currently, the city government has stated that there is no definitive completion date for the ongoing road closure along Tulip Drive.
In the meantime, the city has assured the public that efforts are being made to minimize further disruptions. However, the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the closure has raised concerns, especially among local business owners who are struggling to stay afloat due to the reduced foot traffic and accessibility issues caused by the roadwork. Many are calling for better communication and more timely updates to help them plan and mitigate the ongoing impact on their operations.
Government response
Davao City Councilor Conrado Baluran told SunStar Davao on February 11, 2025, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod that they would not fully close the area but instead, it would be done in phases.
He explained that prior to the approval of the closure, the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) had already conducted a study about it.
“Ang assurance man gyud nato ana nga dili man gyud na siya i-totally close kung magtrabaho sila ang isa ka section ilang trabahoon, dili gyud siya i-totally close, naa gyud nay agianan (The assurance we have is that it will not be totally closed if they are working; if they are working on one section, it will not be totally closed, there will always be a way through),” he said.
Baluran, chair of the committee on transportation and communications, said that if business owners wanted to file objections regarding the closure, they could request a committee hearing.
Regarding the concern that business owners were not informed of the closure, the councilor said that it was the job of the CTTMO to notify them.
However, Lawyer Eduardo Perez, planning officer of CTTMO, said in an interview with SunStar Davao that the closure at Tulip Drive did not go through the City Transport and Traffic Management Board (CTTMB) because a full road closure would go directly to the city council.
“Masarado, pero naay alternative road. Based sa engineering na in-charge kaya ra man ang traffic kaya lang mag-divert lang gyud sila ug certain portion (It will be closed, but there will be an alternative road. The engineering in charge can manage the traffic because they will just divert it to a certain portion),” he said.
Perez emphasized that the road cannot be partially closed because the construction involves the drainage system in the middle of the road. He said they would deploy personnel to the area and that the contractor assigned to the construction was required to place marshals in the area.
Through City Ordinance No. 0651-24, series of 2024, there would be a temporary road closure to vehicular traffic along Villa Abrille Drive from Junction MacArthur Highway to Marang Street in Barangay Matina Crossing for the installation of drainage culverts and road restoration for 240 days.
The ordinance was approved during suspended rules on October 22, 2024, in response to the request of AYU Engineering and Construction for the road closure. DEF,RGP