DPWH issues ultimatum to shipping firm over damaged Navotas dike

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon issued an ultimatum Friday to Manfel Cargo Shipping Corp., demanding the firm complete repairs on the Navotas Coastal Dike by February and ensure the work meets safety standards.

The DPWH will send a demand letter to the shipping company to compel the restoration of a 50-meter section of the dike. The structure was heavily damaged when it was struck by one of the firm’s vessels last year.

“That is their responsibility; they damaged it, then they must restore it,” Dizon said. He noted that while repairs caused by another vessel, the High Tone, have been completed, Manfel’s restoration remains unfinished.

Dizon said that work should not have ceased despite reports that the shipping company stopped paying its contractor. According to DPWH records, Manfel has paid only 10 percent of the costs, leading the contractor to halt operations.

If the repairs are not finished by next month, Dizon said the department will file charges against the shipping firm through the Office of the Solicitor General.

Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco echoed the demand, saying that several ships that ran aground remain near the city’s seawall. The damage in Barangay Tangos South has allowed seawater to flood the coastal area more easily.

“The companies should fix our dikes because they are essential in protecting us from high waves from the bay,” Tiangco said, stressing that the dikes are the city’s primary defense against flooding during heavy rains and high tides.