MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – A newly constructed modern skywalk in Sitio Sudlon, Barangay Maguikay, was blessed and officially turned over on Wednesday, March 12.
The new skywalk stands taller than previous structure, with a clearance of six meters from the road to its beam, compared to the old structure, which had just 4.16 meters. While the previous design had two stairways on each side, the new one features a single stairway on both ends.
The event was led by Congresswoman Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon and District Engineer Gumer Castillo of the DPWH Sixth Engineering Office.
The old skywalk was severely damaged in May 2023 when a refrigerated van collided with its beam, leading to a temporary road closure for several days.
In response, the structure was demolished, and plans for a replacement were initiated, with funds allocated for its construction.
“Atoang number 1 priority gyud ang public safety. Pagkahibaw nato nga naguba ang skywalk sa Maguikay, daghan nianha sa atoang opisina mga estudyante, ginikanan kay to reduce the risk of accidents. So, we act on it immediately, gipabutangan dayun nako og pundo kay nakaapas pa man sa 2023 budget,” said Congresswoman Ouano-Dizon.
(Our number one priority is public safety. When we learned that the skywalk in Maguikay was damaged, many students and parents came to our office because they were concerned about the risk of accidents. So, we acted on it immediately and allocated funds right away since we were still able to include it in the 2023 budget.)
The project received an initial budget of P15 million for its first phase. The second phase, set for implementation this year, will focus on installing CCTV cameras and solar-powered lighting panels.
The new skywalk follows the latest standards set by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), making it the first in Mandaue to comply with these updated guidelines.
“First ever ni sa Mandaue. Unlikely na gyud nga naay masabod,” said Engr. Castillo.
(This is the first of its kind in Mandaue. It’s now highly unlikely that any vehicles will get stuck under it.)
Both students and local residents expressed their relief and appreciation for the new skywalk, seeing it as a much safer crossing point. The structure is especially beneficial for students of St. Louis College-Cebu, a private academic institution in Maguikay.
“Makatabang kaayo ang skywalk sa amo, dili lang ma-ensure amoang safety, makasave mi og time sa paglabang,” said student Christian Diez, recalling the difficulty of crossing the road after the old skywalk was demolished.
(The skywalk is a huge help to us. It not only ensures our safety but also saves us time when crossing the road.)
“Mosaka mi sa skywalk para safe, para dili madisgrasya kay daghan baya bangga diri,” added student Nash Silorio.
(We use the skywalk to stay safe and avoid accidents because there have been many collisions here.)
Local resident Rosalinda Silorio shared her close call with a motorcycle while crossing the road after the skywalk was removed. She expressed how much the old structure helped her stay safe.
To ensure the new skywalk remains secure and does not become a shelter for beggars, Barangay Captain Eduardo Gumera stated that a barangay tanod (village watchman) would be assigned to monitor the site.
“Bawal gyud matulog dinhi ug mostandby dinhi, maninda,” said Gumera. (Sleeping, loitering, and vending here will be strictly prohibited.)
RELATED STORIES
Demolition of Mandaue skywalk complete; road again passable to motorists
LOOK: Scary state of Mandaue skywalk
Read Next
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)
{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};
if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;
n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];
s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,’script’,
‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);
fbq(‘init’, ‘607491687857238’);
fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);