Road network plan okayed

Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Lim said that the projected massive development program in the city will be preceded by the road network in key areas in the city. “We will open new roads first before we implement the various development projects,” he stressed.

The mayor said that one of the problems that many growing cities in the country experience in the lack of a comprehensive road network that results in massive traffic jams. “The failure to put up a comprehensive road network that considers the development directions of the city will cause traffic problems that will affect future generations,” Lim said. He cited as an example the traffic problems not only in downtown Tagbilaran but also along J. A. Clarin street.

“If there was a road network established before the development of the Dao-Dampas growth area, there would be no traffic problems like the ones we are experiencing right now,” he added. Lim also invited affected land owners to attend the public hearings called to discuss the lot acquisition stage. “Not everybody will be happy but it is better if we communicate and try to iron things out,” he added.

The mayor said that whether people will agree or not, the city will grow in terms of population in the coming years. “It would be better if we take the initiative to plan things out instead of merely reacting to the problem when it is already there,” he added. The mayor said that lot owners affected by the road network can expect the land to appreciate when the roads are finished.

He noted that in other places, land owners even donate portions of their landholdings to the government for use as roads because their properties will benefit in the long run. “I urge our citizens to seize this opportunity to contribute to the city's growth and progress by allowing the government to process the acquisition of their lands for this purpose,” he added. The mayor said that there is always a price for progress and urged lot owners to give up a portion of their land to the government at a cost that is mutually agreed upon. “This is a small price to pay for the development of the city that future generations will benefit from,” he added.

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