City to enforce existing ordinance, no more paving roads at daytime

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has banned all road construction during daytime starting today.

This after he was caught in traffic along Escario St. in Barangay Kamputhaw yesterday morning only to find out that a road-patching activity was being carried out in the area.

He said that any road construction or repair such as asphalting, patching, or digging is already prohibited during daytime.

Rama said that this order falls under the existing City Ordinance 2135, which they will be intensifying.

Ordnance 2135, which became final on Dec. 14, 2007, regulates street diggings, excavation, restorations, installation of overhead and underground main and secondary utility/service lines and other rela-ted infrastructure activities within the City of Cebu and providing the corresponding penalties.

The ordinance covers  all persons, barangays, corporation, firm or entity whether residents or non-residents which shall undertake any excavations or digging, installing overhead and underground main and secondary utility/service lines and other related infrastructure activities on any street within Cebu City.

 â€œIt’s a directive to all contractors that starting tomorrow (today), there’s no more asphalting or road-patching in the morning and afternoon,” said Rama.

He said the ban will take effect on weekdays and weekends. He said the delays these cause are not for vehicles carrying people rushing to work and children going to school.

“The asphalting will be done in the evening, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.,” the mayor further declared.

If before the city government would only reprimand erring contractors, now they will confiscate equipment from them and bring these to the South Road Properties if they are found to violate the ordinance, Rama said.

He further said that the order will cover both local and national projects.

Yesterday, Rama met with his department heads in City Hall to discuss the matter.

The city will create ‘Task Force No Asphalting on Daytime’, which will comprise the heads of the City Administration, the City Traffic Operations Management, the Department of Engineering and Public Works, the City Legal Office, the Human Resources and Development Office, the Cebu City Police Office, the Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement team, and the Committee on Infrastructure head of the City Council.

 â€œAnyone who defies, I have a lawyer,” Rama said.

Rama said that aside from the fact that Cebu City is the economic center and hub for tourism, the ordinance has to be “persistently and consistently done” in preparation for international events that the city will be hosting such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in 2015 and the International Eucharistic Congress in 2016.

The opening of classes in June and the rainy days are matters to consider too, he added.

“We have to very clear in preparing and looking forward to these activities,” the mayor said.

When asked if they have the authority to confiscate the items, Rama said the local government unit is supreme.

CITOM chairman, lawyer Rafael Yap, also said that it is cited in the ordinance that the road activities shall only be done in the specific time given. 

“So it follows. The city has the option to remove the equipment,” said Yap.

Yap said they only used to reprimand contractors before whenever they violated this ordinance, considering that they have been already briefed about the rules and guidelines on road construction whenever they go to their office to apply for the permit.

“So karon panghingusgan na g’yud nato,” said Yap, adding that the contractors have no qualms on the guidelines.

The CITOM chairman said they have yet to check what specific firm was doing the construction at Escario Street yesterday, but confirmed that it was not by the Department of Public Works and Highways since they are not in the city’s list of ongoing projects in the city. —/BRP (FREEMAN)