CAVITE – After more than half a decade, motorists can finally use the flyover in Molino, Bacoor City, infamously called the “Great Wall of Bacoor.”
The city government officially opened the Molino-Daanghari Flyover on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
Photo from the City Government of Bacoor (MANILA BULLETIN)
Present during the blessing and inauguration were Mayor Strike B. Revilla, Cavite 2nd District Rep. Lani Mercado Revilla, Agimat Partylist Rep. Bryan Revilla, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Usec. Roberto R. Bernardo, DPWH Region IVA Regional Director Joel G. Mendoza, and SM Supermalls Assistant Vice President for Operations Lorenzo Leon A. Calingasan IV.
6 years in the making
“It took three DPWH secretaries, from Sec. Mark Villar, Sec. Oging Mercado, and Sec. Bonoan to finish this project. It took two regional directors, from Samson Hebra to now RD Joel Mendoza,” Mercado Revilla said during her speech, streamed live through Facebook.
Photo from the City Government of Bacoor (MANILA BULLETIN)
“This project started when I was mayor in 2017. Finally, year 2023, ngayong bumalik ako sa kongreso, si Mayor Strike nagbabalik sa city hall, si Sen. Bong nandiyan, tumutok talaga kami para mapondohan ang proyekto na ito and with the help of SM Group of Companies (Now that I am back in Congress, Mayor Strike is back at the city hall, Sen. Bong is there, we really focused on funding this project with the help of SM Group of Companies,” she added.
Mayor Revilla, meanwhile, discussed the issue that caused the delays in the project.
“Ang bottomline talaga nang problema nito, 'yung pambayad sa right of way. Hanggang ngayon, may utang pa rin 'to na almost P400 million. 'Yan ang totoo, kaya hindi tayo nakapag-widening nang todo-todo. Kaya 'yan ang gusto nating i-appeal sa DPWH (The real bottom line of this problem is the payment for the right of way. Until now, there is still a debt of almost P400 million. That is the truth, which is why we couldn't fully widen the road. That is what we want to appeal to the DPWH),” the local chief executive said.
Photo from the City Government of Bacoor (MANILA BULLETIN)
“Malaking challenge po ito, para sa kaalaman nang ating mga kababayan. Taon-taon sa kongreso 'yan, ang naba-budget diyan, hindi lumalaki 'yan nang dalawang bilyon… Dalawang bilyon lang pambayad sa mga right of way ng lahat ng public works sa sa buong Pilipinas (This is a big challenge. Every year in Congress, the budget allocated for this does not increase by two billion... That is only two billion for the payment of right of way for all public works throughout the Philippines.”
Amid the completion of the flyover, Mercado Revilla said they still have infrastructure complexities to deal with, including road right of way issues, the Molino road widening project, and the construction of the Bacoor diversion road.