P200M Dasma road widening construction to be completed in 2 years
The City of Dasmariñas road widening construction in the whole of Gov. Mangubat Avenue which costs approximately P200 million will be completed after two years, as per City Mayor Elpidio “Pidi” Barzaga Jr.
Upon “making representation” with the Congress of the Philippines, Barzaga said that he has “reached” the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar as he explained the importance of road widening along the access road to Dasmariñas Bagong Bayan, including the Gov. Mangubat Avenue.
“Naipakiusap ko sa kanila, na ang magbabayad na riyan (road widening), po-pondohan iyan ng national government (held by the DPWH). And I was able to get funding from the national government… ‘yun namang ilalagay naming mga ilaw diyan [sa kalsada o center islands], ‘yung ilalagay naming mga halaman and other improvements, that will be shouldered by the City Government,” he said.
The City Mayor furthered that the road widening project will take two years to construct since it is impossible to construct the entirety of Gov. Mangubat Avenue without closing one of the main routes, in addition to the demolition process that will take place to accommodate the 36-m “Right-of-Way” width policy by the local government of Dasmariñas.
“Nakita niyo naman ngayon, including the students are complaining, magsasara lang kami ng one lane, ubod na niyan ang traffic. E ‘di lalo na kapag sinara ko lahat ng four lanes. Kapag sinara ko yang four lanes, wala nang dadaan diyan, [at] talagang mabilis ang aming (city government) trabaho,” he said.
The DPWH contracted KLDS Trading & Contraction for the road widening construction.
‘Right-of-Way’ width policy
With the implementation of the 36-m wide, 2-kilometer length road “Right-of-Way” by the National Housing Authority (NHA) as per Barzaga, establishments and businesses particularly along Mangubat Avenue will also be affected.
Barzaga explained in an interview with The HERALDO FILIPINO why the NHA “expropriated” the 36-m wide, 2-km length road “Right-of-Way” and said, “I was questioning … and they [NHA] told me, ‘Atty. Barzaga, we [NHA] will establish the resettlement area (Dasmariñas Bagong Bayan, Dasmariñas City, Cavite), that would be one of the biggest resettlements in the entire Philippines. Therefore, we have to program 36 meters.’ That’s why, we (local government of Dasmariñas) started the road widening.”
As for the affected establishments and businesses along Mangubat Avenue, Barzaga clarified that all properties belonging to the 36-m width belong to the local government of Dasmariñas.
“I wish to emphasize also, that the City Government does not get any private property. We are just getting the property belonging to the City Government in Gov. Mangubat Avenue, 36 meters wide is the area belonging to the City Government … I’m a lawyer, I have to respect the law … and I do not take properties belonging to the individuals unless I expropriate them or pay them the proper amount,” the mayor said.
Two security personnel from the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) and St. Nicholas de Myra School confirmed that the current construction happening in front of both the schools is due to the 36-m policy for the road widening.
The key person in EAC said that the affected property only includes the pathway and walkway to EAC as he also mentioned that the demolition process in front of the college is currently halted due to the repairing of the water pipeline.
For St. Nicholas de Myra School, the security personnel said that there is no affected property, however the school administration will have to create a safe pathway for the students due to the construction process in front of the school.
Furthermore, the mayor mentioned that the road widening was initiated to solve the worsening case of traffic in the main routes of Dasmariñas City brought about by the gradual growth in population and investment in the city.
