CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — From tourist destination to a major thoroughfare.

The city government is set to open a portion of the 2.5-kilometer Rio de Oro boulevard to ease the worsening traffic in the city, a top city official announced on Wednesday.

Edgardo “Egay” Uy, Rio de Oro boulevard manager, said Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy has already issued an executive order to provide maintenance of the boulevard after it is opened to vehicular traffic.

He said the city government and the Department of Public Works and Highways will sign a memorandum of agreement for the city government to take over the new major road which will be called the Macasandig Boulevard.

“We are expecting to open the traffic in the area next week,” Uy said, adding that only light vehicles not over 4,500 kg will be allowed to pass the road. Tricabs and tricycles are off limits in the area.

He said the two-lane boulevard which was opened and inaugurated last August 2022 starts from barangay Puntod to J.R. Borja streets passing under the Marcos bridge and Consolacion with a T-intersection to Burgos street, was funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as part of the Cagayan de Oro River flood management project.

The DPWH implemented the river protection project to insure the protection of residents, especially those living along the river banks which are exposed to floods during typhoons.

The project was funded by JICA as part of the Cagayan de Oro River Flood Risk Management Project. 

The development of “Tree of Life Marker” at Isla De Oro along Cagayan de Oro River that consists of a mango tree that was used as a refuge of 50 people at the height of typhoon “Sendong” on 17 December 2011 was also proposed.

“Sendong” left 1,257 dead, 6T,071 injured, and 182 missing across 13 provinces in the Philippines. Close to 900 bodies were found in Cagayan de Oro City.

At least 50 people survived the flooding by clinging to a mango tree in the Isla De oro in the middle of the raging river.

The city government has declared the Rio De Oro boulevard as one of the new tourist destinations in the city and clearing operations along the river bank was implemented particularly under the bridges and islets in the river.