BY: VANESSA BUGTONG
Residents and commuters in Barangay Irisan, Baguio City, continue to express frustration over the ongoing roadwork in Purok 14, Lower Cypress, which was expected to be completed earlier this month.
Delivery riders like Hiwel say the situation is affecting their daily income.
“Every minute counts in our work. In just a few minutes, I can deliver one or two parcels,” Hiwel shared. “But when I pass through this area, it really slows me down. It’s been almost a month like this.”
The roadwork is a project under the Baguio City District Engineering Office, involving both concreting and drainage construction.
“It’s a concreting project, and we’re also fixing the drainage,” explained Barangay Captain Arthur Carlos. “It’s a busy street, so they have to work section by section. We can’t close the whole road all at once because it will affect too many people.”
According to contractor Abe Poclis, they can’t proceed continuously with the construction.
“There’s a reason for the delay. We can’t work straight through because it would disrupt the residents too much,” he said in a phone interview.
Currently, only 50 percent of the road has been completed.
The remaining portion, over 95 meters long, is expected to take four more months to finish, just in time for a target completion in September.
However, Poclis warned that the approaching rainy season could cause further delays.
“We’re planning strategies for the rainy season so we can still continue the work,” he added.
Despite the setbacks, the contractor assures residents that the team is doing its best to complete the project as soon as possible.
