City engineer told to cover city's open manholes

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday ordered acting city engineer Nicomedes Leonor to attend to the public’s complaints about uncovered manholes in different places of Cebu City to prevent accidents.

The mayor received numerous complaints about the uncovered manholes located at the corner of Pelaez and Colon streets, another open manhole in front of a hotel along Manalili Street, and at the corner of Lapu-Lapu and Zamora streets, near the San Roque barangay sports complex.

Leonor quickly assured the mayor that he will immediately attend to the problem.

“As much as possible we are trying our best bisa’g gamay lang atong tawo sa drainage maintenance. Mao na nga atong gihangyo ang mga opisyal sa lainlaing barangay nga pinaagi sa ilang mga tanod ug opisyal i-report dayon nila namo kon may makit-an sila nga tabon sa manholes nga guba,” Leonor said in a text message sent to The FREEMAN.

Several months ago City Hall officials were criticized by the public, through the media outlets, because of their failure to cover several open manholes in the city that resulted to the death of a child who was carried away by water and fell into an open manhole.

“Dugaya na niining problemaha uy nga wala atimana sa City Hall. Kon moagi mi diri, siguroon g’yod namo nga dili mahulog ang ligid sa among sakyanan nianang lawom kaayong lungag,” passenger jeepney driver Calixto Bonsubre said.

He was referring to the deep manhole located at the corner of Lapu-Lapu Street.

Jeffrey, a watch-your-car boy along Manalili Street, also said that he had seen several vehicles whose tires fell into the open manhole in front of the former Victoria Hotel.

“Kadto g’yod nga babaye ang drayber kay nalooy mi kay pwerte niyang kuyawa nga nahulog sa lungag ang iyang ligid. Gitabangan na lang namo og alsa ang awto,” he said. –Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (FREEMAN NEWS)