No to quick fix solutions

As projected earlier by our country’s weather experts, the southwest monsoon rains that started last June will continue at least until September. The “ber” seasons is just a week from now. And soon enough, for sure, we’ll start seeing the most popular Christmas figure in the Philippines. It’s not Santa Claus, dear.

You guessed it. It’s none other than our most inimitable balladeer Jose Mari Chan crooning his famous “Christmas in our Hearts.” His Christmas carol somehow uplifts our spirit, especially during times of difficulties.

For now though, we still have to brace for more of the ensuing habagat-induced flooding all over low-lying areas in Metro Manila and elsewhere. Then comes the El Niño phenomenon, or the long dry spell, after the habagat season ends. We can only get smarter to adapt to the quirks of climate change.

But at the height of the monsoon rains last week, criminals – not smart people – were discovered to have made quick money. A portion or components of the expansion joints in the Magallanes flyover appeared to have been sawed off. These expansion joints were made of solid, heavy steel bars. A wide gaping hole threatens the structural integrity of the southbound lanes of the flyover.

Fortunately, no one got into any fatal incident. The possible theft was accidentally discovered only last Tuesday night, thanks to the quiet but hardworking repair crew of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). They chanced upon it while doing their regular flood-monitoring inspection whenever Mother Nature unleashes torrential rains all over Metro Manila.

They immediately reported their nasty discovery to MMDA general manager Nicolas Torre III. With accompanying video of the gaping hole on the flyover, Torre, in turn, quickly alerted Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) “acting” Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon, since the flyover is not under the jurisdiction of the MMDA.

The Magallanes Interchange, commonly called the Magallanes flyover, in Makati City was built under the administration of the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. who initiated this project in 1969. It was a DPWH project funded through a loan from Japan’s Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF).

Maintained by the DPWH, the Magallanes flyover opened in 1975 when it was officially called the Manila South Diversion Road-EDSA. This flyover in Magallanes is known as the key “Gateway to the Financial District.”

It has become a major transit and residential hub famous for the massive Magallanes Interchange connecting EDSA and SLEX, the exclusive Magallanes Village and its historical roots as one of Ayala’s earliest self-sustaining commercial and residential communities.

Torre showed the video of the gaping hole as captured by the MMDA repair crew the previous night. Joining us the next day at our Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum, Torre disclosed the MMDA repair crew laid metal plates to cover temporarily the gaping hole as a safety measure.

“The hole could fit an entire motorcycle if it falls in,” the MMDA GM feared.

In a terse press statement issued Wednesday, the DPWH warned that debris from the structure was seen falling because the structural gaps that support the concrete were not in place. “Safety net and temporary steel plates were immediately installed on the damaged portions to ensure the safety of the motorists,” DPWH stated.

The retired Philippine National Police (PNP) chief refused to speculate if the expansion joints were indeed intentionally cut off and sold for a good price to “mambabakal” or buyers of used steel bars. As of this writing, authorities have yet to find out how these crooks were able to carry out their crime without being noticed in a very open, high ground area like Magallanes flyover. Torre surmised though the missing expansion joints might have loosened or fallen off due the age of the flyover structure.

The MMDA advised motorists that DPWH will begin its major repair works last Thursday and will go on until today, Aug. 24, from 10 p.m. to 4 p.m. The DPWH repair will cover the removal of the existing expansion joint components to install new ones along the southbound of Magallanes Flyover. “The DPWH will strive to complete the repair works according to the set schedule. We request everyone’s understanding and cooperation while the agency carries out the repairs,” DPWH statement added.

Whether it was man-made or caused by nature, this adds to the growing list of failures in DPWH structures. Structural failures typically stem from severe natural hazards combined with issues like substandard construction materials, overloading, bad design or building code violations. When a structure breaks, bends too much or falls down because it can no longer hold the weight or forces put on it, it finally snaps when the stress is greater than the strength of the construction materials.

With the congressional oversight on the proposed 2027 budgets of national government agencies like the DPWH taking place, our lawmakers should ask not just peso-sign questions.

They should not be satisfied with Dizon’s cussing whenever he undertakes post-incident inspection at the sites of structural failures of DPWH projects.   

If there should be anyone to make a big issue of the current state of the Magallanes flyover, it should be President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) because it is one of the legacy projects of his namesake father. More of these accidents waiting to happen might indeed happen.

It was the DPWH that did the repair and rehabilitation of the southbound EDSA-Magallanes flyover during the Holy Week period earlier this year. With full media coverage, Dizon led its ceremonial re-opening to vehicular traffic last April 6.

“It’s safety issue. The joints of the flyover were repaired,” he pointed out. “So OK tayo,” Dizon quipped.

Obviously, it was part of the speedy repair and rehabilitation of EDSA that Dizon initiated at the DPWH. After days of monsoon rains, potholes emerged from these repaired parts of EDSA.

Sadly, seems like Dizon speaks too soon about his quick-fix accomplishments at the DPWH.