Manipis road now passable

CEBU, Philippines — After long hours of clearing operations, at least one lane of the road in sitio Langoyon, Barangay Manipis, Talisay City is now passable.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Second District Engineer Leslie Anthony Molina confirmed that one lane of the landslide-struck sitio Langoyon road was opened to some vehicles.

"About 1:15 in the afternoon yesterday (June 26), we already permitted some motorists to pass through the cleared road; however, we made a one lane road policy since we are not totally done with clearing operations," Molina said, in a statement.

Due to potential landslides and rockfall, the general public is advised to drive cautiously when crossing this area, especially during periods of severe rain.

"If ever torrential rain occurs, we will immediately close the road once again to protect the motorists from possible incidents," he added.

Meanwhile, Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas said in a Facebook post that he immediately coordinated with DPWH Second District Engineering Office to assist in the clearing operation and clearing the debris in sitio Langoyon.

"Because of the constant rain that we have experienced, what we feared has happened," said Gullas.

Personnel from DPWH, Barangay Manipis and the QM Builders were assigned to the area for the checkpoint. The local government unit also deployed heavy equipment in the area since Monday.

The DPWH is looking at the approval of its request for P100 million for 2024 in order for it to continue the benching project.

Benching is one of the permanent solutions to the landslide prone area of Barangay Manipis. — (FREEMAN)