SO SORDIDLY degraded is the western lateral portion of the FVR Megadike system that Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda shed off her innate caring, nurturing nature to lambaste at the dike’s degraders – the quarry truckers.
Nanay Baby went to the extent of contemplating a total ban on all quarry operations around that area, and – even if it sounded a nigh redundant – declaring it off-limits to all quarry trucks.
In a subsequent dialogue with truckers – at least the faction that howled “unfair” and swooped down the Capitol at the time of the now-unlamented Panlilio administration, officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways, mayors and barangay chairs of the areas traversed by the dike, Nanay Baby’s heart melted anew.
The quarry truckers – so they claimed – had no choice but make use of the western portion of the FVR megadike, with the quarry truck ban in Sta. Rita and in Angeles City. The dike road runs from Porac to the City of San Fernando, cutting through the Gapan-Olongapo-San Fernando stretch in Bacolor.
The enormous contribution of the quarry industry to the provincial coffers was even invoked as a mitigating argument to support the truckers’ cause.
Which Nanay Baby instantly shot down with a riposte on the cost of the megadike and the construction of roads vis-à-vis the benefits from the quarry industry. A lopsided equation there tilting against the truckers’ reasoning.
Indeed, Pampanga could not afford to lose its income from the sand, so Nanay Baby conceded. But neither can it allow its infrastructure to go to waste.
A happy compromise, a win-win solution showed greatest promise in a road parallel to the dike which will be for the sole use of the quarry trucks.
Nanay Baby put up an ante of P100 million for the construction of that dedicated lane for trucks. How about the truckers?
One Lacsamana who spoke on the truckers’ behalf said they shall abide by any order from the governor even as he needed to consult his group on the win-win solution proffered.
I do not know how this faction of the truckers group would finally come to terms with the dedicated road proposal. But I do know that there has been a proposal akin to it submitted to the then Panlilio administration.
In October last year, Mike Tapang, president of the Pampanga Quarry Association (PQA), asked the DPWH to “officialize” the truckers’ use of a six-kilometer stretch of the western lateral portion of the FVR Megadike which they had been doing – anyway – for years. Its use even intensified during the construction of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.
A proviso to Tapang’s proposal was the PQA itself shall assume the cost of rehabilitating and maintaining the megadike road on a build-operate-transfer scheme.
Tapang’s proposal was promptly damned, sans any serious consideration of it.
Board Members Cris Garbo and Ric Yabut told the Pampanga Mayors League that the sangguniang panlalawigan would “definitely” not allow the use of the megadike as conveyance of quarry trucks.
“It is not feasible. The megadike was built for protection from lahar. If we allow quarry trucks to use that road, it is for sure to get dilapidated and that would be a potential risk and danger zone to residents living near the megadike.” So was Yabut quoted as saying.
Articulating the views of his boss, Art Punzalan, chief of staff of Vice Governor Yeng Guiao said then: “The vice governor is against the use of the megadike road for truckers. The potential for damage and danger is too big for that. Besides, the megadike road was not designed for that. Even a non-engineer could readily see and understand that. Even if Tapang said his group will shoulder the costs, it is not feasible.”
Former Bacolor Mayor Ananias Canlas, himself a lahar survivor, said: “They should know better. A more in-depth study should be made on that issue and alternatives must be sought. Imagine the scenario if the megadike is destroyed by these truckers.”
The DPWH itself maintained that the multi-billion-peso FVR Megadike was “built to contain lahar and floodwater and not to be used as service road by heavy vehicles like trucks loaded with quarry materials.”
Amid that cacophony of nays, there was only one aye at that time: that of putative Provincial Administrator Atty. Vivian Dabu.
Said Dabu: “They cannot use the Sta. Rita roads. They are banned from Angeles City. They could have access to the SCTEx. Paano naman ang mga truckers at quarry operators natin? How will the industry survive kung wala na silang pwedeng daanan?”
And so it was that sole dissenting, if not aberrant voice, that made all the difference. The truckers continued using the megadike road, now potholed, eroded, breached, devastated.
Back to square one.
Nanay Baby went to the extent of contemplating a total ban on all quarry operations around that area, and – even if it sounded a nigh redundant – declaring it off-limits to all quarry trucks.
In a subsequent dialogue with truckers – at least the faction that howled “unfair” and swooped down the Capitol at the time of the now-unlamented Panlilio administration, officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways, mayors and barangay chairs of the areas traversed by the dike, Nanay Baby’s heart melted anew.
The quarry truckers – so they claimed – had no choice but make use of the western portion of the FVR megadike, with the quarry truck ban in Sta. Rita and in Angeles City. The dike road runs from Porac to the City of San Fernando, cutting through the Gapan-Olongapo-San Fernando stretch in Bacolor.
The enormous contribution of the quarry industry to the provincial coffers was even invoked as a mitigating argument to support the truckers’ cause.
Which Nanay Baby instantly shot down with a riposte on the cost of the megadike and the construction of roads vis-à-vis the benefits from the quarry industry. A lopsided equation there tilting against the truckers’ reasoning.
Indeed, Pampanga could not afford to lose its income from the sand, so Nanay Baby conceded. But neither can it allow its infrastructure to go to waste.
A happy compromise, a win-win solution showed greatest promise in a road parallel to the dike which will be for the sole use of the quarry trucks.
Nanay Baby put up an ante of P100 million for the construction of that dedicated lane for trucks. How about the truckers?
One Lacsamana who spoke on the truckers’ behalf said they shall abide by any order from the governor even as he needed to consult his group on the win-win solution proffered.
I do not know how this faction of the truckers group would finally come to terms with the dedicated road proposal. But I do know that there has been a proposal akin to it submitted to the then Panlilio administration.
In October last year, Mike Tapang, president of the Pampanga Quarry Association (PQA), asked the DPWH to “officialize” the truckers’ use of a six-kilometer stretch of the western lateral portion of the FVR Megadike which they had been doing – anyway – for years. Its use even intensified during the construction of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.
A proviso to Tapang’s proposal was the PQA itself shall assume the cost of rehabilitating and maintaining the megadike road on a build-operate-transfer scheme.
Tapang’s proposal was promptly damned, sans any serious consideration of it.
Board Members Cris Garbo and Ric Yabut told the Pampanga Mayors League that the sangguniang panlalawigan would “definitely” not allow the use of the megadike as conveyance of quarry trucks.
“It is not feasible. The megadike was built for protection from lahar. If we allow quarry trucks to use that road, it is for sure to get dilapidated and that would be a potential risk and danger zone to residents living near the megadike.” So was Yabut quoted as saying.
Articulating the views of his boss, Art Punzalan, chief of staff of Vice Governor Yeng Guiao said then: “The vice governor is against the use of the megadike road for truckers. The potential for damage and danger is too big for that. Besides, the megadike road was not designed for that. Even a non-engineer could readily see and understand that. Even if Tapang said his group will shoulder the costs, it is not feasible.”
Former Bacolor Mayor Ananias Canlas, himself a lahar survivor, said: “They should know better. A more in-depth study should be made on that issue and alternatives must be sought. Imagine the scenario if the megadike is destroyed by these truckers.”
The DPWH itself maintained that the multi-billion-peso FVR Megadike was “built to contain lahar and floodwater and not to be used as service road by heavy vehicles like trucks loaded with quarry materials.”
Amid that cacophony of nays, there was only one aye at that time: that of putative Provincial Administrator Atty. Vivian Dabu.
Said Dabu: “They cannot use the Sta. Rita roads. They are banned from Angeles City. They could have access to the SCTEx. Paano naman ang mga truckers at quarry operators natin? How will the industry survive kung wala na silang pwedeng daanan?”
And so it was that sole dissenting, if not aberrant voice, that made all the difference. The truckers continued using the megadike road, now potholed, eroded, breached, devastated.
Back to square one.
