Intramuros ‘pasasabugin’ ng DPWH (Anda Circle ginigiba na)

IKINOKONSIDERA ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) ang pagwasak sa 440 taon nang ‘walled city’ o Intramuros upang mapabilis ang daloy ng cargo trucks mula sa Port Area.

Sa blog ng isang Alan Robles, sinabing “planners looked at the Port Area map and they saw this huge 64-hectare congested riverside walled neighborhood blocking the route and they said, what’s that? Let’s blow it up.

“With lots of dynamite.”

Nang itanong kung batid pa ng DPWH na ang Intramuros ay ‘precious cultural and historic heritage area’, ang pinakapuso ng Maynila, ang sagot ng spokesperon, “it’s just a big stone lump to the planners, also they checked it out and found out it’s already been destroyed before, so it’s not like it’s going to be the first time.

“Besides”, dagdag niya, “they won’t destroy everything, they’ll probably leave the churches standing, as well as that Fort Santiago thing. And the Commission on Elections.”

Dinagsa ng mga protesta ang DPWH mula sa mga historian nang ipahayag na ibu-bulldozer ang Anda Circle monument sa paanan ng Del Pan Bridge.

Ayon sa DPWH, ang circle, ang marble obelisk na itinayo noong 1871, ay nakasasagabal sa daloy ng mga truck mula sa port, na ilang buwan nang congested bunsod ng backlog ng hindi nai-deliver na cargo containers.

Paliwanag sa Blog inilarawan ang sarili bilang “a sleazy lurker and college failure,” “the guys figured, hey, while we’re doing Anda Circle, we may as well get rid of everything else in the area that looks historic and useless. That’s when they noticed Intramuros.”

Aniya, “as soon as they clear the Intramuros rubble and widen the truck road, DPWH can start with reblocking and flyover projects that will immediately pay off in terms of fees to contractors.”

Sa pagtataya ng planners, sa pagwasak sa Intramuros, mababawasan ang trip time ng cargo trucks ng hanggang “five minutes.”

Kapag nademolis umani ang Intramuros, posibleng wasakin na rin ng DPWH ang kalapit na landmarks.

“They don’t want the public to think they’re sleeping on the job or anything like that. They’ve already prepared a list of places to clear to widen the roads: there’s Rizal Park, the National Museum, Philippine Normal University, Ayala Bridge – oops, no wait, the trucks need that bridge to cross the Pasig River.”

Dagdag pa, “DPWH anticipates people might be upset about knocking down the National Museum, so they’ll just call it by its old name and say they’re demolishing the Congress building. They’re pretty sure people will even come along and help.”

Habang pinaniniwalaan ng marami na ang nasabing blog ay isang ‘satire,’ sinimulan nang alisin ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) ang Anda Circle sa kanto ng Bonifacio Drive at Roxas Boulevard sa Maynila.

Kombinsido ang kagawaran na luluwag ang daloy ng mga sasakyan sa lugar lalo na sa bahaging papunta sa mga pantalan kapag natanggal ang monumento.

Ayon kay DPWH National Capital Regional (NCR) Director Reynaldo Tagudando, apropbado ng Department of Tourism (DOT) at National Historical Commission ang pag-aalis sa Anda Circle at paglilipat nito sa Maestranza Park sa loob ng Intramuros, alinsunod na rin sa kanilang nilagdaang memorandum noong Enero 25, 2013.

Katig din aniya si Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada na alisin ang rotunda roon at papalitan ng regular na intersection na may traffic light.

Habang pag-aaralan kung kayang alisin nang buo ang monumento o kung hahati-hatiin ito.

Itinayo ang orihinal na monumento malapit sa Ilog Pasig noong 1871 bilang pasasalamat kay Gov. Gen. Simon de Anda sa paglaban niya sa British occupation.

Inilipat ito sa kasalukuyang lugar makaraan ang Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig.