ILOILO City – Cong. Raoul Manuel of the Kabataan party-list is seeking a congressional inquiry on the P680-million newly-built but defective flyover that spans Barangay Ungka, Jaro district and Barangay Ungka II, Pavia, Iloilo.
Manuel, a resident of this city, checked the flyover on Jan. 6 and saw for himself the inconvenience being endured by motorists and residents.
He also said he had experienced firsthand the uneven, or “wavy” decking of the Ungka flyover last September 2022 prior to its closure to traffic due to vertical displacement.
Congress should act on this matter, he said, because the project was funded through General Appropriations.
“Kon may projects ang DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) bisan diin nga bahin sang pungsod, gina-monitor and gina-ensure nga ining projects mapuslan gid man sang tawo. Indi amo na ang natabu sa Ungka flyover. Kay, ti, sa mga naga-istar lapit dira kag sa mga naga-alagi, nangin huol gid ini,” Manuel told Panay News yesterday.
He will file the resolution calling for a congressional inquiry before this month is over, he said.
“Kon ma-aprubahan sang House of Representatives, ti ma-istoryahan gid man kon ano ang natabu, ngaa nag-amo gid ‘na ang flyover,” said Manuel.
The investigation of the third-party consulting firm hired by DPWH’s central office could take a year, he added, and without the intervention of Congress, motorists and the general public would continue to suffer.
The third-party firm is conducting an independent geotechnical investigation to determine the cause of the vertical displacement in piers 4, 5, and 6 of the flyover.
Manuel said he is willing to coordinate with other Ilonggo solons to give more weight to the resolution he will be filing.
The steps he will take, he pointed out, are based in part on a resolution previously filed by Sangguniang Bayan (SB) members of the Pavia local government urging Ilonggo solons to file a resolution requesting the Congress to conduct a legislative inquiry on the same matter.
He added that, as a Kabataan party-list representative, he speaks on behalf of students whose daily lives are affected by the situation in Ungka.
“Ang kwarta sang tawo nagakadto sa amo ‘ni nga dalagku nga projects and makita nga wala pa ma-serve ang purpose, all the more nga sabton ina kay indi lang pila ka sentimos ang gina-istoryahan diri kundi milyones nga kwarta sang tawo,” the Kabataan pParty-list representative added.
DPWH Region 6 temporarily closed the Ungka flyover on Sept. 18 – two weeks after fully opening it to traffic – after vertical displacement on its three piers was observed.
The Ungka flyover is 453.7 lineal meters long on a bored pile foundation, including the approaches. Construction started in January 2020.
The flyover passes over the busy intersection of the Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue (Diversion Road) and the President Corazon C. Aquino Avenue (Circumferential Road 1).
It aims to decongest traffic in the area and shorten the travel time to the Iloilo Airport (in Cabatuan, Iloilo) from Iloilo City to just 20 minutes./PN
