Council asks DEPW to fix Sirao road

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has requested the Department of Engineering and Public Works

(DEPW) to provide concrete and long-term solutions to the road slip issue along the Sirao road.

Councilor Nestor Archival has sponsored a resolution asking the DEPW to act.  The City Council has approved the resolution.

Last September 21, 2022, the City Council conducted an executive session with the representatives of the DEPW, Department of Public Works and Highways-Cebu City District Engineering Office (DPWH-CCDEO), Cebu City Traffic Management Cooperation Committee (Cebu City-TMC-COM), Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), Ayala Heights Management, Barangay Council of Barangays Sirao, Malubog, and other affected far-flung barangays.

They discussed the temporary road closure of the Balamban-Cebu Transcentral Highway along Ayala Heights for the implementation of countermeasures on the road slip in the area, which was reportedly damaged by a landslide caused by the heavy rainfall during the past weeks.

During the discussion, it was found that the Sirao road also has a road slip problem.

According to the DPWH-CCDEO representative, the Sirao road is not a national road.

“The necessary solution to the aforesaid road slip problem in Sirao road should be concrete and long-term,” said Archival.

Last September 29, Archival’s office received a report from a concerned citizen via messenger about the present condition of the road in Sirao going to the Transcentral Highway, stating that the inclination of the road is too high, causing a mini dump truck vehicle to slide down while traversing upward in the said road.

The councilor said that considering that Sirao road is not a national road, the city government, through DEPW, should be the one to solve this issue.

Section 16 of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, provides that every local government unit shall exercise the powers expressly granted, those necessarily implied therefrom, as well as powers necessary, appropriate, or incidental for its efficient and effective governance, and those which are essential to the promotion of the general welfare. — GAN (FREEMAN)