Private group offers to cover manholes on streets for free

A private group has offered to help the city government solve the problem about open manholes along the streets for free.

The group, Pagtambayayong Foundation, is headed by city administrator Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez but Mayor Tomas Osmeña said there would be no “conflict of interest” if the group would undertake the project.

Fernandez told The Freeman that Pagtambayayong decided to help the city and avoid a similar incident last week when a two-year-old child fell into an open hole beside the road and died.

The boy, during a downpour, went out of their house to play with other children but he accidentally fell into the hole and got carried away by the waters up to the seawaters in Lapu-Lapu City.

“Pagka karon, ang mga manhole nga walay tabon mao ra usa ang atong i-concentrate, walay labot ang mga open nga kanal,” Fernandez said.

Osmena has decided that the task of attending to the problem about the uncovered manholes would be entrusted to a non-government organization to avoid delay in the works such as in preparation of documents for auditing procedures.

Fernandez has encouraged the public to report to the mayor’s office any uncovered manholes as he assured them that Pagtambayayong would attend to it immediately. — Rene U. Borromeo/RAE