Like sugar and coffee

It’s been months since the Ungka flyover was opened for light vehicles one lane at a time and was closed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) due structural cracks and displacement of a section.

Today, just when the Dinagyang fever has started and heavier traffic is expected every day and after a long time of dribbling as to what technical intervention must and has to be done, nothing has been reached.

In fairness with the regional office of the public works department, immediately after its closure they declared that they have convened their design office to look into the matter and implement solutions that would include jet-grouting of the foundation underneath to prevent further displacements and movements. Steel support was constructed to observe possible movements. Unfortunately, that was it.

Other than the steel structure that was constructed to help support the problematic portion of the superstructure, it is not even clear if the so-called jet grouting was initiated at all.

In my interview with Assistant Regional Director Al Fruto he emphasized that immediate interventions will be put in place but a few days after he declared confidently that they will identify the best solution and implement it, the national office of DPWH assumed responsibility over the problem and said that a technical team will be sent to investigate what happened and wait for its recommendation before ordering any actions. Days and weeks passed and nothing happened.

The public has been waiting for the report of the technical team that was sent by DPWH national office. There came none. Eventually, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas wrote Public Works Secretary Manny Bonoan asking the latter to expedite the solution so that the flyover can be re-opened. Bonaon provided everyone a ray of hope when he committed that they will resolve the problem early this year. Of course, early is such a relative word as it may mean early December of 2023 or earlier. Nothing happened.

Then came the outburst of Treñas when he called on DPWH Regional Director Nerie Bueno to explain the problem and request her secretary to meet him for an update on his request. The way Director Bueno answered did not sit well with the mayor. Nerie Bueno reportedly known for being bitchy in her office showed her color to the mayor. The mayor who has adopted the foul mouth of former President Rodrigo Duterte was not about to yield with Bueno and so he warned her to declare his good friend Manny Bonoan persona non grata.

Still, nothing happened. In the case of Director Bueno, she is back to her usual comfort zone. She loves to party. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. prohibited the holding of any government-related meetings and activities in hotels and outside its offices for austerity as the government funds are depleted due to the pandemic. But Bueno, loves doing otherwise. Her latest stunt was a “meeting” with her district engineers and other DPWH regional heads at the Sea Garden Beach Resort in Leganes. She is living the life while we Ilonggos are suffering to heavy traffic and are burdened by the fast-becoming white elephant Ungka flyover.

Interestingly, Treñas along with the city councilors and his tsutsuwariwaps has the guts to publicly scold party-goer Director Neri but turned meek and shy in calling on Iloilo Builders Corporation (IBC) the contractor of the project to admit responsibility and help in looking for ways to repair its failed project. The most it did was to issue a PR release assuring the public that they will cooperate to resolve their own failure.

The public has to right to know though that Cong. Jojo Ang of IBC is the representative of Uswag Ilonggo, the party-list of Treñas. Have you heared the mayor calling Jojo Ang and IBC bullshit?