Cebu City Councilor Condemns Stalled P13.89-Million Bridge Project
Cebu City Councilor Sisinio Andales has publicly condemned the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and its contractor for their failure to complete the P13.89-million Sanciangko Bridge, a project that was officially due in May 2025. In a powerful privilege speech delivered on Tuesday, November 18, Andales labeled the extensive delay a "glaring failure of accountability and transparency," highlighting the severe disruption to thousands of residents and local businesses.
A Project Mired in Delays and Inconvenience
The 50-meter bridge was originally demolished and closed to traffic on August 6, 2024. At that time, Andales was still the barangay captain of Pahina Central. The reconstruction was intended to significantly improve connectivity between key areas of downtown Cebu, including V. Rama Avenue, N. Bacalso Avenue, and C. Padilla Street. Instead of progress, the site is now described by the councilor as being marked by "idle equipment and stagnant progress," more than two years after the project's inception.
Andales poignantly referred to the unfinished structure as "a bridge near yet too far," a situation that has forced three barangays—Pahina Central, Pahina San Nicolas, and San Nicolas Proper—to endure the worst of the inconvenience. The situation was further exacerbated when Typhoon Tino destroyed a temporary footbridge that connected San Nicolas Proper and Pahina Central, severely limiting the mobility of residents in the area.
Official Concerns and Flooding Risks
The P13.89-million Sanciangko Bridge project was officially awarded by the DPWH Cebu City District Engineering Office to Power Frame Construction and Development Corp., with the contract signed on November 3, 2023. The lack of activity at the site has drawn criticism from the highest levels of local government.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival personally visited the construction area on October 24 and expressed his dismay at the contractor's inactivity. Mayor Archival also raised a critical concern, suggesting that the contractor's work, which involved filling more than half of the river's width, may have contributed to severe flooding during Typhoon Tino. Some residents reported water levels rising to their rooftops, and Councilor Andales confirmed that his own home was flooded.
Calls for Accountability and Immediate Action
While Councilor Andales acknowledged that the project faced legitimate challenges—such as clearing informal settlers, relocating utility poles, and securing necessary permits from the City Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission—he stressed that these issues "do not excuse the lack of transparency or urgency" from the DPWH and its contractor.
"Where is the DPWH in all of this fiasco? Why has there been no comprehensive update? Why has the contractor not been held to account?" Andales demanded during his speech.
He has urgently called upon the Cebu City Council to take immediate action by convening an executive session. The session would summon officials from both the DPWH and Power Frame Construction to demand a clear and definitive completion timeline, a fully transparent project status report, and concrete measures to mitigate the flooding risks that the stalled project has created.
"The people of Cebu deserve better," Andales declared. "The Sanciangko Bridge must rise again, stronger, safer, and without further delay."
