MMDA relaunches ‘adopt a footbridge’ program

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) relaunched on Friday its “adopt a footbridge” program in a bid to encourage private sector participation in the maintenance of footbridges along major thoroughfares across the metropolis.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino relaunched the program at the footbridge that connects the University of the Philippines Diliman campus and the UP-Ayala Land Technohub across Commonwealth Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City.

According to Tolentino, at least 2,000 students and Technohub patrons use the footbridge every day in crossing Commonwealth Avenue, which has been tagged as the “most dangerous highway” in Metro Manila due to the high number of accidents in the area.

According to Tolentino, “adopted” footbridges will have a roof and restrooms and will be equipped with closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) that will be linked directly to the MMDA’s Metrobase monitoring center at the agency’s headquarters in Makati.

The “adopt a footbridge program” was originally launched two years ago by the MMDA.

 “The beauty in this adopt a footbridge program is that we will now be able to repair and rehabilitate our pedestrian footbridges at no expense, since this is a government-private sector partnership. And more than the savings, pedestrians using the footbridges will now be safer and more comfortable,” Tolentino said.

The program was originally launched on July 4, 2013 at the Eastwood footbridge in Quezon City. The footbridge crosses the C5 Road in Libis.

The Eastwood footbridge was “adopted” by the AMSI Builders and Illuminate Dynamic Media, Inc. Under an agreement with the MMDA, AMSI Builders and IDMI financed the repair, rehabilitation and improvement of the footbridge.