THE New Cebu International Container Port in Consolacion, Cebu. (Contributed photo)
CEBU CITY – Dusty and noisy.
These are the complaints of some residents living near the area where the construction of the New Cebu International Container Port (NCICP) is ongoing.
Residents of Barangay Tayud, Consolacion town, Cebu complained that they could not sleep well at night due to noise produced by heavy equipment working in the area.
The noise has been disruptive for students doing their homework, residents said in an interview with reporters.
Complaints have already reached HJ Shipbuilding and Construction Corp., the contractor of the P16-billion port project.
Lilet Della Pedejero, project coordinator of the corporation, said necessary working schedule adjustments will be made to address the residents’ complaints.
"All construction works are naturally noisy. We are really sorry for the inconvenience caused by the construction,” said Pedejero in mixed Filipino and English.
Pedejero disclosed that currently, construction works last until 10 p.m. The company expressed willingness to adjust the working time to 9 p.m. only.
Pedejero added that standby water tankers are on standby to minimize dust. “We are watering every hour in the whole project area especially when the soil is dry,” said Pedejero.
The company assured that the project has necessary permits such as site disposal permit, site development permit, and Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
The quarry permit is still being processed, Pedejero said. "At first, we did not consider the quarry permit because we thought we only needed a site development permit,” she said.
The project is seen to increase the cargo handling capacity of Cebu International Port. It will be completed by December this year.