Councilor Nadres Acts Swiftly on Road Repair at Barangay Calumpang Intersection

A deteriorating road at the main gateway into Tayabas City receives long-overdue attention following a formal call to action — with local government officials and national road engineers joining forces to protect public safety and keep the city’s economic lifeline open.

TAYABAS CITY, Quezon, 28 April 2026 — In a clear demonstration of responsive local governance, City Councilor Janne Phaula A. Nadres moved with urgency to address the seriously deteriorating condition of the road intersection at Barangay Calumpang, Tayabas City — acting on a concern raised directly by a resident of the community. The concern was not simply about inconvenience. It was a call for help from a community watching a vital road crumble beneath the weight of daily use, rainy seasons, and years of deferred maintenance.

“This intersection is not just a road — it is the economic lifeline of communities that depend on this corridor for commerce, employment access, and the transport of agricultural products. Every day that this road remains in poor condition, thousands of residents are the ones who pay the price. We cannot allow a deteriorating road surface to undermine the livelihood of the people we serve.”
— Councilor Janne Phaula A. Nadres, City Council of Tayabas

The intersection road at Barangay Calumpang did not deteriorate overnight. Over time, the combination of heavy vehicle traffic, exposure to floodwater during the rainy season, and the absence of timely maintenance had reduced the road surface to a hazardous state. Deep cracks, potholes, and surface erosion had become regular features of a road that was never built to be neglected. For motorists, the daily experience of navigating this intersection had become a risk — a test of a vehicle’s durability and a driver’s vigilance.

The City’s Primary Gateway

The strategic significance of the Barangay Calumpang intersection cannot be overstated. This road serves as the primary and most heavily utilized entry and exit point to Tayabas City. Unlike secondary routes that may accommodate lighter traffic volumes, this intersection sits at the confluence of roads that connect Tayabas City to its neighboring localities — including Sariaya, Quezon, and Lucena City.

Mayor Anthony A. Lim of Tayabas City voiced his full and unwavering support for Councilor Nadres’ initiative, underscoring the irreplaceable role of this road in the daily life of the city.

“This road is the front door of Tayabas City. Every resident who enters or leaves the city passes through Barangay Calumpang. Every business that brings goods in, every student who travels to school, every worker who earns a living by commuting through these routes — all of them depend on this intersection being safe and passable. I stand fully behind Councilor Nadres in ensuring that this repair is carried out without delay.”
— Mayor Anthony A. Lim, Tayabas City

Commerce, Agriculture, and Livelihoods at Stake

Among the hardest hit by the deteriorating road condition were the farmers and agricultural traders who use this corridor daily to bring their harvests to market. Quezon Province is home to a thriving agricultural sector, and Tayabas City sits within a network of production areas whose goods flow through precisely this type of road. Coconut, banana, vegetables, and other farm products destined for Lucena City’s public markets and distribution hubs must pass through the Barangay Calumpang intersection.

Workers who depend on regular and punctual transit to reach employment centers in Lucena City were similarly affected. Public utility vehicles operating on these routes were forced to reduce their speed and increase the frequency of maintenance on their own vehicles — costs that were eventually passed on to passengers through higher fares. The economic consequences of a single deteriorating road intersection, when examined closely, ripple outward in ways that touch nearly every household in the surrounding communities.

A Matter of Public Health and Emergency Response

The intersection serves as a route for ambulances, fire trucks, and other emergency vehicles that must move swiftly through Tayabas City and the surrounding barangays to reach those in need of urgent assistance. In a medical emergency, every minute lost to a rough or impassable road directly affects the outcome for the patient being transported. A road with deep potholes and unstable surfaces forces emergency vehicle drivers to slow down and navigate carefully — time that cannot be recovered and that may, in the most critical situations, cost lives.

For the residents of Barangay Calumpang and surrounding areas, this reality was not abstract. A sudden illness, a vehicular accident, a fire — any of these events would demand the fastest possible response from emergency services. A road in disrepair along the primary route into and out of the city was, in this context, not merely a maintenance issue. It was a public health and safety concern of the highest urgency, one that demanded immediate and decisive action from those entrusted with the welfare of the community.

From Concern to Concrete Action

Councilor Nadres elevated the matter to the appropriate national road authority and, in coordination with Mayor Lim, formally requested the intervention of the Department of Public Works and Highways. The city’s leadership made clear that the repair was not a request that could wait for a routine schedule — it was an urgent necessity with direct consequences for public safety, economic activity, and the overall well-being of thousands of residents.

The response from the national government’s road engineering office was swift and professional. Engineer Rodel O. Florido, District Engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways Quezon First District Engineering Office, acted promptly on the request made jointly by Mayor Lim and Councilor Nadres. His office mobilized the necessary resources to conduct the immediate repair and asphalt overlay of the damaged intersection, ensuring that the work would be carried out with the technical standards appropriate for a road of this traffic volume and strategic importance.

Governance That Listens

The story of the Barangay Calumpang road repair is ultimately a story about what local governance looks like when it works the way it should. A resident spoke up. A councilor listened. A mayor acted in solidarity. A national engineer responded with urgency. And a road that had been allowed to deteriorate for far too long was finally given the attention it deserved.

Councilor Janne Phaula A. Nadres remains committed to pursuing infrastructure improvements and public safety concerns across Tayabas City, guided always by the principle that every resident’s concern deserves to be heard, and that every concern, when it touches on the safety and welfare of the community, deserves swift and decisive action. (jrs)