DPWH chief eyes Leyte ‘Great Wall’ completion by 2020

TACLOBAN CITY, Aug. 7 -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is eyeing the completion of the PHP9.62 billion Leyte tide embankment project within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte by addressing the pre-construction issues.

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said here on Tuesday that several issues had been settled and all necessary permits had been approved for the mega project to proceed.

“Now that almost all pre-construction activities have been done, the most important here is that our communities vulnerable to big waves are protected. We will make this project famous by building new roads parallel to the structure,” Villar told reporters during a project visit.

Construction is ongoing at nine subsections under section 4, covering 7.44 kilometers of seawall in some parts of the San Jose district in this city; Candahug, Macarthur Memorial Landing National Park, Baras, and Cogon villages in Palo town.

Also ongoing are five out of nine subsections under the section within the boundary of Palo and Tanauan towns with a total length of 5.06 kilometers.

The DPWH divided the project into six sections with 30 subsections. Civil works for the other sections have not yet started due to the ongoing detailed engineering, feasibility, alignments, and public consultations.

The project also includes the construction of a causeway crossing the Cancabato Bay. The structure will serve as an alternative route from the city’s downtown to airport.

In most sections, the four-meter wide structure is designed as baywalk and bicycle lane. Under its original plan, it is up for completion in 2020.

“We are confident that all big ticket projects in Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) will be completed by 2022 or within the term of President Duterte,” Villar added.

The project, also tagged as Leyte’s “Great Wall”, was supposed to prioritize the coastal communities from Tacloban City Astrodome to San Jose district but it was put on hold pending the relocation of families within the danger zones.

The 27.3-kilometer project stretches from Diit village in Tacloban to Cabuynan village in Tanauan town. Sections 1 to 3 are in Tacloban, section 4 are the coastal villages of Tacloban and Palo, section 5 are some areas in Palo and Tanauan, and section 6 in Tanauan town.

The project, standing 30 meters from the shoreline, will protect 33.7 square meters area of properties and 33,185 houses and buildings.

Building the four-meter high structure was pushed through by the previous administration after the 2013 storm surges whipped by Super Typhoon Yolanda’s fierce winds wiped out neighborhoods in Leyte province.

Several group opposed the project citing negative environmental impacts and displacement of thousands of families. (SQM/PNA)