BACOLOD City – Informal settlers in Barangay Sum-ag yesterday voluntarily dismantled their illegal structures to pave the way for the construction of the Bacolod-Negros Occidental Economic Highway (Phase 1 project).
According to District Engineer Abraham Villareal of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), 15 owners of the shanties erected in both sides along the national road were given an ultimatum to self-demolish until today by the City Legal Office (CLO).
“They have to remove their structures or else the demolition team from the CLO and DPWH will be the one to conduct the clearing operation,” he said.
Earlier, the DPWH conducted an inspection in the village and they noticed several structures sprouting in the property owned by the national government.
The structures are built within the national road’s 45-meter right of way, according to Villareal.
He also clarified that the illegal structure owners will not be provided with relocation.
“They just built the structures for the purpose to build a store,” Villareal stressed.
The Bacolod-Negros Occidental Economic Highway is a 21-kilometer long road covering nine villages, stretching from Barangay Sum-ag to Barangay Bata. It will be connected to the Bacolod-Silay Airport Access Road./PN
