Negros Occidental Acting Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the Department of Public Works and Highways yesterday was putting up early warning devices in landslide-damaged sections of the Salvador Benedicto highway.

Lacson called the DPWH yesterday to act on the matter to avoid fatal accidents in the area, noting that stones were among the few visible markers initially placed on the damaged roads.

Salvador Benedicto Mayor Jose Max Ortiz has described the damaged sections of the highway as “extremely dangerous”, and in need of immediate repair.

Ortiz said has submitted a report on the damage in the Balocon and Kudyawan sections of the highway to the Office of Civil Defense to seek immediate government assistance.

In one section, only the middle of the road is not hollow, the soil beneath the left and right sides are gone, he said.

First Engineering head Jaime Javellana yesterday said his office is currently estimating the damage to five sections of the highway to submit to the DPWH 6 office.

“It will be determined if the repair of the damaged sections due for force majeure is covered by insurance,” he said, pointing out that heavy rains triggered landslides and erosion of soil along the highway.

The widening of the affected highway by Dynamic Builders began last year and was completed this year, Javellana said.

Javellana said the DPWH is putting up steel drums that, hopefully, will not be attractive to thieves, to prevent vehicles from passing over the damaged sections of the highway until they are repaired.

The DPWH is appealing to the public not to steal road warning devices as they are intended to prevent accidents, he said.

They are not putting up warning signs made of steel and wood as these are often stolen, he added.

Lacson said Rep. Julio Ledesma (Neg. Occ., 1st District) had also earlier asked the DPWH to act on the road problem.*CPG

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