Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo
On our first few months in Department of Public Works and Highways, we have received the most number of complaints on Circumferential Road 6 — a toll free expressway we now call Laguna Lake Highway. At that time, it was full of large potholes — so large that we would get reports of dented exhaust pipes, mufflers or catalytic converters. It would scrape against bumpers, side skirts, and undercarriages. When it rains, the problem is even aggravated by mud and flooding.
It was at this point that Secretary Mark Villar decided to call everyone involved in the project. It was then that we realized that Circumferential Road 6 only had the specifications of a dike rather than an all-weather national highway. The project was primarily a flood control program and the road was only meant to provide access for light vehicles. It was clear, the road needed to be upgraded.