CEBU - At least 50 residents of Carcar City rallied in front of city hall demanding that the government pave the only road leading to the mountain barangay of Napo.
Carrying placards, members of the Kalangyawon Landowners and Residents Association Inc. and Upper Kalangyawon Farmers Association Inc., both represented by a certain Leonora Cabardo-Mangyao, said they have had enough of climbing up and down the rough road from the barangay proper to sitio Kalangyawon.
According to the protesters, this barangay road was opened for use in 1982 to provide access to the inner sitios of Mahayahay, Tulinda, Danao, Tagaytay, Tapon, Lower Kalangyawon and Upper Kalangyawon.
However, two decades later, it still has not been cemented, said Mangyao.
Mangyao said that this is the least of their problems as the owner of a private road where the said road traverses has closed a part of the road, and is now imposing a P10 toll fee for every motorcycle-for-hire and P20 for each four-wheeled vehicle passing.
It was alleged that the road was closed after the barangay elections last year. However Mangyao and Napo barangay captain Mario Labra said there was no politics behind the said closure.
But Carcar City Mayor Patrick Barcenas, in a separate interview, said he believes that the problem stemmed from politics. He revealed that the owner of the portion of the road that is closed to public use ran for barangay captain but lost.
The mayor also said that there are still two lot owners who have yet to allow the residents to use their private properties for public use. He assured the residents that he will address their concerns.
Barcenas said he plans to allot funds for the construction of a diversion road that will not pass the private properties to avoid any more conflict.
Vice Mayor Nicepuro Apura also said that the council has already ordered the officials of barangay Napo to request to the owners to instead donate their lots to the barangay, considering that expropriation proceedings take a long time to be resolved.
If they refuse to donate their lots, they will then resort to filing an expropriation case before the court, he said.
Mangyao also said they also want city hall to build a spillway across from the Garay River to keep the area from being flooded.
She said that during heavy rains water from the river overflows causing floods in the area. In the 1980’s two public school teachers reportedly drowned. — Liv G. Campo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)