A portion of a riprap being built by the Department Works and Highways collapses and damages a house in Sitio Kisapat, Barangay Tablon, this city, on Thursday. Two were hurt in the accident that also damaged two other houses and a church of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. The project was awarded to Equi-Parco Construction Co.. (photo by Nitz Arancon)
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By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent . 

TWO septuagenarians were injured and at least a dozen people were rendered homeless after a part of a multimillion-peso riprap construction project of the Department of Public Works and Highways collapsed in Sitio Kisapat, Barangay Tablon, this city, on Thursday evening.

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Tablon barangay chairman Billy Kid Ausa identified the injured senior citizens as Salvacion Fabiano, 73, and Ricardo Simbajon, 75. Ausa said both are caretakers of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente chapel in the area.

Ausa said Simbajon and Fabiano were taken to a hospital for treatment.

Aside from the injured senior citizens, Ausa said two houses and an IFI chapel were destroyed when loose earth and rocks from the riprap project slid at around 9:30 pm on Thursday.

Aside from the IFI chapel and the house  Fabiano, the house of Ginafil Bantoto,  where the families of Giles Hunot, Jade Norer, Justine Norer, James Ngiyon, and Michael John Ngiyon reside, was also destroyed.

Equi-Parco Construction Co. is the company contracted by DPWH for the riprap and road project from Barangay Balubal to the “Galaxy”area in Barangay Gusa, passing through Sitio Kisapat that is located at the back of the manufacturing plant of Nestle Phils..

DPWH-10 spokesperson Vinnah Maghinay said the collapse of the riprap was due to the redesigning of the road project.

“Ang original design, ma-igo man gyud sa riprap ang kapilya sa IFI ug mga balay nila ni Bantoto ug Fabiano, pero dili man mo-give up ang mga homeowners kay naa kunoy ilang sentimental value sa ilang balay, mao tong gi-usab ang design sa maong riprap,” Maghinay explained.

She said the vibration caused by the ongoing construction created by the steamroller softened the soil along the embankment of the riprap project which in turn slid into the houses and the chapel.

“I-concrete na gyud sa contractor ang siding sa maong dalan, dili na riprap para dili na ma-usab ang pagka-collapse,” assured Maghinay.

She said Equi-Parco would shoulder the cost of the repair of the houses and chapel and the backjob of the road project.

Maghinay also said Equi-Parco would pay for the medical bills for the treatment of Fabiano and Simbajon.

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