City seeks bidder for Mahiga works

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government is set to conduct a public bidding for the embankment of the Mahiga River worth P6 million next month.

Reduction Danger Zones (REDZ) project chairman, former city councilor Joey Daluz, said the P6 million covers the installation of lamp posts and 150-meters sidewalk along the Mahiga Creek in block 27 at the North Reclamation Area.

Block 27 is adjacent to Mahiga creek and is currently being used as impounding area of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom).

Daluz said P180 million will be utilized for the rechanneling of Mahiga River and a 1.3-hectare retention pond to store water before it reaches the creek.

The amount of P50 million will be use for the acquisition of lots, said Daluz.

The Gaisano and Gochan, Daluz said are owners of the six properties that would be affected of the beatification and improvement of the river.

“We are constantly negotiating with the identified owners,” he said.

The city has adopted REDZ project to eliminate the risk of people losing their lives every time the said river overflows.

Daluz said there were about 100 families identified as informal settlers by the Department for the Welfare and Urban Poor (DWUP) and are set to vacate their properties anytime soon.

The families whose houses encroached the three-meter easement along the M.J. Cuenco Avenue to San Jose dela Montaña of the Mahiga Creek.

Further, he said one-third of the said families have sought help from the city government and underwent an assessment on how the city can assist them during the relocation.

“Ato ng gi-assessed ning mga families on how can we help them sa pag transfer og relocate o paghatag og livelihood ba kaha so that they can have better lives,” he said.

Under the City’s REDZ project, clearing of Mahiga Creek of illegal structures and implementing a three-meter easement would affect at least 4,000 families.

Next to be cleared are the illegal structures encroaching the rivers of Lahug, Guadalupe, Bulacao and Kinalumsan.  (FREEMAN)