The President's Bridge Program

(Conclusion)

Benefits and impact of PBP Bridges

The President’s Bridge Program (PBP) has been described as a “bold bureaucratic effort to dramatically change the nature of infrastructure development in the country through the use of Official Development Assistance.” Its objective is to link the remotest and poorest communities with the nation’s road network and highly urbanized centers, creating an opportunity of spreading the fruits of economic progress to the greatest number of the populace.

The PBP has been at the helm of the many bridge-building projects under the stewardship of several Philippine presidents. It is the central repository of the programs that underscore the particular focus given by the head of state to the urgent requirement for bridges, as dictated by economic projections. With the new administration, the PBP will continue its mandate of building bridges for the country’s progress and development.

The ‘Tulay ng Pangulo sa Kaunlaran’ Project (Bridges for Progress) affirmed the government’s commitment to alleviate poverty by greater access to sustainable economic opportunities for the poor. It involves the construction of 25 flyovers along heavily traffic-congested national highways and also covers 20 long-span bridges and 38 compact bridges that would serve as link to other transport modes. The ‘Kaunlaran’Project installed the Bocaue Flyover in Bulacan, San Fernando I & II Flyovers in Pampanga, and the Infante Flyover in Iloilo.

PBP bridges have contributed in the improvement of local trade, from mere subsistence base to thriving market economies through easy transport of goods and merchandise. Thus, commercial activities have been catalyzed and the cost of goods and services had been reduced.

With the bridge construction, public goods and services had been more efficiently, effectively and frequently made accessible to the local constituents. There is concomitant improvement in economic and commercial activities, while local revenues have dramatically increased, leading to greater capacity for responsive local governance.

By providing bridges which are vital linkages to agriculturally productive but far-flung places to the markets, the PBP has indeed widened opportunities in the rural areas. Government agencies can now penetrate the once isolated countryside and deliver the most needed government basic services.

The ‘Tulay ng Pangulo sa Barangay’ Project of the PBP that constructed 410 bridges has helped improve the existing barangay infrastructures, incorporating more remote rural communities into the national transport system. Meanwhile, the ‘Countryside Bridge Project’ completed the construction of 200 modular steel bridges in poor and remote barangays aimed to sustain countryside development and open windows to economic opportunities in the rural areas. A glaring impact of these bridges can now be felt by farmers and traders who enjoy delivery of cheaper goods to the market due to lower transportation cost.

In the field of eco-tourism, the PBP has opened up opportunities to explore our island’s natural wonders such as caves, immaculate white sand beaches and coral reefs, waterfalls and others. Travel time and distance have been greatly reduced following the construction of these bridges.

There exists a creation of employment opportunities since the projects have a “multiplier effect” to the local economy because of new tourism activities that will be generated in the project influence area.

Emergency and immediate health response

Around 10,000 linear meters of bridges are weakened or destroyed by various calamities annually, whereas the average construction and repair had been averaging only 8,000 linear meters. Thus, emergency mitigating works are being undertaken by the PBP to fully restore damaged bridges that limit traffic or endanger the populace. Quick mobilization of heavy equipment and construction materials of heavy equipment and construction materials at the project site are keys to saving lives and properties during these trying times.

The PBP undertook on May 4, 2010 the actual restoration works for the total replacement of three-span superstructure and support provision of Bued Bridge in Sison Pangasinan, which was damaged by typhoon Pepeng in October 2009. About 107.25 linear meters out of the 525 linear meters total bridge length will be fully restored in order to bring the bridge back to its normal operation. Completion is expected this year and will provide a permanent and safe passage of goods and travelers in this major route from Metro Manila all the way to Northern Luzon, and vice versa.

Before the PBP bridges were built, government and non-government institutions were unable to reach remote communities and provide the much needed health services to the children and mothers especially during rainy days because the pedestrian hanging bridge or the bridge made of dead logs are unsafe, or are flooded.

Nowadays, these institutions are able to conduct regular medical missions and isolated barangays have access to health services. And due to the ease of transport of building and construction materials, more day care centers and barangay health centers are being constructed in these areas.

Peace and order in Mindanao

The Salam (Peace) Bridge Project, more popularly called the ‘Bridges of Peace’ of the PBP, was able to construct 89 bridges in four war-torn ARMM provinces. This project was a boost to the peace process as it employed former members of the Moro National Liberation Front, who were trained for the construction effort. Meanwhile, the ‘Tulay ng Pangulo sa SZOPAD’(Special Zone of Peace and Development), also called ‘Bridges of Hope’, implemented 593 bridges in the SZOPAD/Mindanao area, including Palawan province. These bridges served as a catalyst in attaining peace and sustainable development in Southern Philippines.

Setback addressed

Despite significant headways in the PBP or Tulay ng Pangulo, the DPWH is still in the process of finding other ways to meet the requirements needed to provide bridges even in the countryside since its implementation more than a decade ago.

In 1994, the United Kingdom government was trying to open up bilateral cooperation between the Philippines and the UK. A UK team came and assessed its government can assist the Philippines through the provision of steel bridges in the rural areas to promote development. The bilateral cooperation arrangement was signed by no less than Lady Baroness Chalker. Based on the study, a task force on the President’s Bridge Program was created by President Ramos, chaired by then Executive Secretary Teofisto Guingona, and composed of six major line departments.

The PBP’s pioneer contractor UK-based Mabey & Johnson Ltd (M&J) uses an advanced bridging technology that features modular steel bridges that last for up to 100 years with little or no maintenance. This is easy to install as one pre-fabricated bridge can be put together in four days.

M&J is supplier of bridges to Britain’s Armed Forces and international organizations such as the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO). M&J built more than 1,200 bridges from Cagayan and Ilocos Norte in the North, to Tawi-Tawi in the South. An unfortunate ending happened to M&J when it was forced to shut its operations in the country due to an unforeseen event.

Despite huge successes in the Philippines, M&J was found to have some issues in three out of the 114 countries it had served. The UK government inquired into alleged irregularities of the project but to date the firm was only found to have done irregular business in Iraq, Jamaica and Ghana. The projects were pre-terminated by the Philippine government after a settlement agreement with M&J.

Under the settlement agreement, the project will be able to complete an additional 64 spans of bridges. Implementation schedule under the agreement is from July 2010 – December 2011.

During this period, the Commission on Audit found no irregularities in any of the projects under the PBP, including those of M&J.

Politics and bridges don’t mix

In contrast, according to the COA report, other suppliers like Balfour Cleveland had already incurred cost overruns by almost 100 percent while Wagner Biro of the Austrian government-assisted project under the Special Bridges Project cost the government 62 percent more or an additional P117.54 million due to construction delays.

While the other suppliers claim their bridges cost less, an analysis of the costing would show that they cost far more than other suppliers. A comparative tabulation of bridge project suppliers shows that with respect to Balfour Cleveland, while its original cost of the project was pegged at around P2.4 billion, it incurred cost overruns, because of delays in construction, amounting to almost P3 billion or more than a 100 percent of the original project cost.

In the end the government paid more than P10 billion (after repayment, meaning including interest and fees) for a project originally costing P2.4 billion.

The COA said the DPWH should collect unliquidated damages from defaulting suppliers and contractors and thereafter blacklist them.

More bridges under PNoy

The Puerto-Sayre Flyover in Cagayan de Oro City has become a boon to Bukidnon farmers who now spend only 1.5 hours in bringing their agricultural commodities to the regional capital of Northern Mindanao.

Previously, they had to spend four hours in traveling from Malaybalay and other towns to sell their goods in Cagayan de Oro, and the long travel time had been a bane to the farmers since quality of their vegetables suffers.

With their commodities wilting, and their transport costs rising, Bukidnon farmers had little choice and had to turn to middlemen to dispose of their crops, which means they earn less from their commodities.

This flyover, inaugurated by President Aquino on Sept. 21, 2011, has also helped in bringing in food, water, medicines, clothes and other essential goods to the 45,000 families who were victims of typhoon Sendong.

The company which supplied DPWH with the materials used advanced metallurgical processes to craft the steel needed for the flyover that can withstand loads upwards of 80 tons, much higher than what its competitors could offer.

Puerto Sayre Flyover is one of three flyovers that had been approved for the Mega Bridges for Urban and Rural Development Project.

Under this program, 10 girder-type flyovers were to be built, along with 72 unibridges, from March 2009 to 2012.

The project cost P9.45 billion, with the money coming from the French government’s export credit loan and the Philippine government.

Apart from the Puerto Sayre flyover, government is working on the Lazatin Flyover in San Fernando City in Pampanga and the Bacolod-Lacson Flyover in Bacolod City.

The Jalandoni Flyover in Iloilo City was actually the first one completed under the Aquino administration since it was finished on July 9, just eight days after the President took office.

These flyover projects are unique since they utilize the permanent prefabricated modular steel technology from France developed by Eiffel & Matiere.

With the successful completion of the Puerto Sayre Flyover, the DPWH is now working on the designs and pre-engineering works for 52 out of 72 spans of medium-sized two-lane unibridges. And more bridges are expected in the coming years.