In Lapu-Lapu City, bad roads hurt resorts, hotels

CEBU, Philippines - The long-delayed road concreting project in certain portions of Mactan Circumferential Road in Lapu-Lapu City has alarmed city officials as well as resorts owners and managers who complained about  the effect to their businesses.

City Mayor Paz Radaza yesterday said that her office received several letters of complaints from businessmen.

Radaza confirmed having witnesses an on-going road concreting project undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways in Barangay Maribago.

This prompted Radaza to schedule a weekly meeting with her office, DPWH officials and the contractors.

Radaza admitted that the long-delayed road concreting projects that have caused traffic congestion badly affected the economic activities in the city especially in barangays of Maribago, Marigondon and Mactan.

Hembler Mendoza, head of the City Tourism Office, told reporters that everyday his office received several complaints from the affected resorts, hotels and even foreign visitors.

Rhya Booc, general manager of Bluewater Resorts, said that the road repair project done were very slow is not in any way mitigating the effects of the recent calamities that decimated tourists arrivals in the city.

Booc said it is making worse since they are already receiving complaints from their guests due to the traffic and the current situation of the roads leading to the resorts.

The lack of planning at the side of the contractor added to the problem especially in managing the flow of traffic, other resorts managers said.

Lapu-Lapu City Engineer Allan Pedrigal raised the problem to DPWH Regional Director Ador Canlas of the long-delayed road concreting project of the Mactan Circumferential Road.

“It has been observed that your road concreting work had been long delayed which gives great inconvenience to general public most especially to our tourist visitors occupying various hotels in this city which were also affected on this project,” said Pedrigal in his letter to Canlas.

Also, Pedrigal said this has caused economic dislocation among small business owners affected as they couldn’t go on operation with the current condition of the said road.—(FREEMAN)