ANTIQUE – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) dismissed criticisms it had been remiss in implementing safety measures at the “killer curve” of the mountainside highway in Barangay Igbucagay, Hamtic town.
“We have not fallen short,” insisted Engineer Bernadeth “Betsy” Uy, chief of the DPWH-Antique District Engineering Office.
DPWH has been under fire since Tuesday after a Ceres bus fell into a deep ravine from a sharp curve of the highway in Barangay Igbucagay. The number of fatalities rose to 18 yesterday.
According to Uy, after an accident involving a public utility vehicle in the same area in 2020, DPWH immediately took action by requesting a budget for a 300-meter long road widening.
Concrete barriers were also installed, plus street lights, warning devices, and signage to caution motorists, Uy told Panay News.
She also stressed that travellers have a safe alternative route – the Iloilo-Anini-y road in the coastal area – but that many prefer the mountainside road in Hamtic for a shorter travel time.
Regarding the proposal to terminate the mountainside highway, Uy said there is no problem with its structural design.
Citing DPWH data, Uy also said that on average, 1,000 motor vehicles pass through the route daily, with hardly any accidents.
This, she stressed, proved that the road design was appropriate and that DPWH should not be blamed for Tuesday’s accident and for those that happened in the recent past.
Instead, Uy suggested that motorists revisit their driving skills.
“Why not look into the skills of our drivers? Motorists should also level up in terms of driving skills and awareness of safety nets on our roads,” she stressed.
Uy particularly stressed the importance of not overspeeding.
At the accident-prone “killer curve”, she said the maximum speed of motor vehicles should only be 30 kilometers per hour.
But Uy mentioned the possibility of further improving the concrete barriers at the “killer curve”.
A day after the bus accident, Gov. Rhodora Cadiao appealed for help from the national government.
“I want to condemn that road; so many Antiqueños have died on that road section. If we have to, we will ask the national government for a substantial amount of money to build a detour, even if it means blowing up the whole mountain,” said Cadiao.
She added: “The road is shaped like an S, with a descent. Close that portion and build a new and better road. Once and for all, let’s spend a lot of money on that area that has already claimed the lives of more than 50 Antiqueños and four passenger buses.”
Cadiao instructed Broderick Train, the head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, to gather all data on the history of accidents in the area to support a request for the national government to address the situation.
When she was the chairman of the Regional Development Council a few years back, according to Cadiao, she raised her concern about the mountainside highway.
It was subsequently widened and concrete barriers were put up, she said.
“But these were not enough to prevent vehicles from falling into the ravine,” Cadiao lamented./PN
