ROAD ELEVATION NOT AN ISSUE

DAGUPAN City Vice Mayor Bryan Kua said the political opposition is grossly mistaken in concluding that fast-food chains Jollibee and MC Donald’s opted to close their stores along Arellano Street due to disruption in their operations caused by the road’s elevation.

He explained that the branches were replaced in other locations with more space to enable them to feature a drive-through service.

Jollibee opened in Bonuan Gueset while McDonald’s just opened its new store along Jose de Venecia Expressway Extension after putting up another store last year in Bonuan Gueset.

Kua said their political rivals are making the store closures an issue during the ongoing campaign period for want of any other governance issue.

Meanwhile, Mayor Belen Fernandez confirmed that after the elevation of Arellano Street, M. H. del Pilar Street and the eastern part of Perez Boulevard, the city government helped the affected establishments to elevate their frontage or improve access to their stores.

She cited Universidad de Dagupan, University of Pangasinan, Nepo Mall and SM Center Dagupan, among others, that adjusted their frontage for the convenience of their customers and students.

The mayor said the opposition councilors who compose the seven-member majority at the Sangguniang Panlungsod wanted to block the road and drainage elevation projects, and passed a resolution to stop it.

The resolution, however, was ignored by the city administration as Fernandez pointed out that she lobbied for these projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways to mitigate the perennial flooding inside the commercial districts during heavy rains and high tide.

Addressing the effective improvement, she said, has been attracting new investors. (Leonardo Micua)

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