‘A GRAVE INJUSTICE’: Aganan Flyover stands idle as Ilonggos suffer daily gridlock

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

In September last year, the Department of Public Works and Highways Region 6 (DPWH 6) said the PHP 802 million Aganan Flyover would already be open to the public by September 2025.

A year later, residents and commuters are still waiting.

Nearly three years since construction was halted, the multi-million peso infrastructure in Pavia remains unfinished, overgrown with weeds, and marked by moss on its idle concrete.

On Thursday, over a hundred commuters and members of progressive groups trooped to the site to demand justice and accountability for the stalled project, which they say has worsened traffic and disrupted their daily lives.

For 74-year-old Aganan resident Nimfa Jardenil, the flyover has brought nothing but uncertainty.

Her house stands along Felix Gorriceta Ave. intersection, en route to Iloilo City.

She said her family has delayed putting up a proper fence around their property due to repeated road widening notices since 2015.

With no progress in sight, they finally installed a temporary fence for safety.

“Kabudlay gid kay wala kasiguruhan ang flyover,” she said, noting that she opposed its construction from the beginning.

She lamented that noise from late-night construction also disrupted their sleep and that the honking of vehicles during rush hours in the area had made their environment chaotic.

“Subong ang traffic diri tama gid kabudlay. Kung aga traffic, kung hapon traffic man. Kabudlay sang amon pangabuhi dira sa Aganan subong. Naga agwanta lang kami permi,” she said.

Jardenil appealed to the government to finish the project.

But with all the corruption anomalies hounding the government, she cast doubt that the flyover will be completed anytime soon.

Former Pavia Sangguniang Bayan Member Jose Maria “PYT” Trimañez said he is “frustrated” as he has long pushed for accountability over the Aganan and Ungka flyovers.

He recalled filing a resolution during his time in office urging the Senate to conduct a legislative inquiry.

“If by that time they conducted an inquiry, we could have prevented the issues surrounding this flyover and even ghost projects in flood controls,” he said.

Trimañez stressed the need for an on-site national government inspection to witness how the infrastructure has affected the lives of commuters and motorists in the area.

“This is one example of a project that is ignored, poorly done, and a project that supposedly could have helped the public, and we have spent millions of taxpayers’ funds, and until now it is still unfinished,” he said.

The former local official said that while the government may proceed with construction, accountability must still be pursued.

“This sets a very bad example for our future engineers — that leaving projects unfinished could become the norm. This is a grave injustice,” he said.

College student Alek Padrones from Santa Barbara said her commute has worsened drastically since the flyover’s construction was stalled.

When she was in high school at the University of the Philippines Visayas, a jeepney ride to her classes used to take just 30 minutes.

Today, traveling from Santa Barbara to Central Philippine University can last from 45 minutes to an hour and a half during rush hour.

“I have to give more time, which takes away a chunk of my rest and other tasks,” she said.

Padrones called for an investigation into the project.

“Whether this will be finished or not, I hope there is an adequate investigation into this monstrosity,” she said.

The flyover’s construction was halted in December 2022 after confirmatory geotechnical tests revealed that the pier foundations did not reach the necessary hard soil strata, which is deeper than originally designed.

To address this, DPWH 6 has proposed rectification using jet grouting, a method also applied to the controversial Ungka Flyover nearby.

DPWH 6 estimates that around PHP 210 million is needed to rectify the issues.

While PHP 308 million is still available from the original budget for completing the flyover, the additional rectification funds have yet to be fully secured.

Rectification work was planned to start in early 2025 with a target completion by September 2025, but as of early 2025, funding had not yet been allocated.

DPWH 6 has sought a budget of about PHP 10 million to PHP 15 million for a third-party investigation to resolve discrepancies in the soil test results that affected the flyover’s design and construction.

The third-party consultant, Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultants, conducted a geotechnical investigation starting in September 2024 and submitted their report by December 2024.

DPWH 6 is currently reviewing the third-party report and evaluating its recommendations and cost implications for necessary rectifications.