DPWH ‘100%’ sure road project won’t affect Sariaya heritage buildings

The heritage buildings of Sariaya, Quezon "100 percent" will not be affected by a road-widening project in the town, a representative of the Department of Public Works and Highways said.

The DPWH, which began its Selective Road-Widening Project in the town in March, has run up against heritage conservationists concerned that the project will negatively affect the colonial- and pre-independence-era houses on General Luna Street.

However, said project manager Willie Racelis of DPWH Quezon in a report by Steve Dailisan on News To Go, "One hundred percent po hindi natin gagalawin yung mga heritage building."

The houses coconuts built

There are an estimated 192 heritage houses still standing in the town also known as "the Art Deco capital of southern Luzon."

"Ito ang nagbibigay ng cultural identity sa bayan ng Sariaya," said Sariaya Heritage Council chairman Danny De Luna of the old buildings.

"'Yang mga iyan ay mga vestiges ng panahon ng kasagsagan ng pagniniyog," said historian Eric Dedace of the houses. "Kasi itong Sariaya, kaya ito yumaman, gawa ng pagniniyog."

Among those feared to be affected by the project are the Natalio Enriquez ancestral house, designed by architect Andres Luna de San Pedro, son of painter Juan Luna, in 1931; the Art Deco municipal hall, designed by architect Juan Arellano; and Sariaya's town park, built in 1748.

Read: The stunning, endangered heritage buildings of Sariaya

But the DPWH has vowed that it will not demolish Sariaya's old homes for its road-widening project—as long as they have been deemed heritage buildings with historical value by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

The project will also improve the street, Racelis added.

"Including na po doon [sa road-widening] ang improvement ng drainage at sidewalk para sa pedestrian," he said. "So makaka-accommodate siya ng isa pang uling sasakyan sa widened portion which we call loading and unloading [zone]."

However, the project could also affect several other old private homes and buildings along the highway that are not deemed of historic import. "Dito lang kami kumukuha ng aming ikinabubuhay," said resident Emma Sia. "Itong lupang ito ay pinaghihirapan pa ito ng anak ko. Tapos basta na lang kukunin nila? Hindi naman po pwede iyon."

Diversion roads

General Luna Street also happens to be the commercial and transportation hub of the town, with some 2,500 to 3,000 vehicles passing through it every day.

But the creation of loading and unloading zones is not really what the DPWH believes will solve the traffic problem in the area. It is also building diversion roads that are expected to decrease vehicle volume there by as much as 70 percent.

However, the roads' completion could be as far away as 2018.

"Meron tayong hinaharap na right of way problem doon sa mga lot owner, so 'yun po ang medyo nakakaabala sa atin," said Racelis.

The Sariaya Heritage Council hopes that the diversion roads could be finished sooner. "Bilisan niyo na po ang paggawa ng diversion road...mga pagawain po na magbibigay ng pagluwag sa trapiko," said De Luna. — BM, GMA News