If not repaired immediately, Councilor warns DPWH of possible collapse of bridge

TABONTABON, LEYTE, Philippines — Councilor Nestor Abrematea of this town rallied his colleagues to warn the Department  of  Public Works and Highways-Region 8 of possible collapse of a vital bridge in Leyte if not repaired immediately.

Abrematea authored a resolution, which the Municipal Council eventually approved, asking the DPWH-8 through Director Rolando Asis to fast track the repair of the damaged bridge at Barangay Malaguicay in neighboring town of Tanauan.

The Malaguicay Bridge belongs to Tanauan town, but it is the only access of Tabontabon to the towns of Dagami, Burauen and Tanauan itself, said Abrematea.

"If this bridge is not properly attended to and repaired by the DPWH-8, it would surely collapse and paralyze the land transport to and from Tabontabon and the nearby towns and the rest of Leyte," he said during the session.

Abrematea said one side of the concrete bridge is newly repaired but its other side has a big hole that has been left unattended by the DPWH-8.

The DPWH-8, through Asis and Regional Maintenance Chief Ricardo Odita Jr., already acted by installing a warning sign on the bridge, but the councilor said it was not enough because the solution should be to repair it as soon as possible for good.

Abrematea further reminded the DPWH-8 about problems affecting other bridges near his town, such as the Daguitan Bridge in Dulag, Leyte that has remained impassable to big buses and cargo trucks since typhoon Seniang.

The damage of Daguitan Bridge posed big problem to truckers and bus operators, plying the Maharlika Highway to and from the northern and southern part of Leyte, as they are forced to take a detour, the longer route via the La Paz-Burauen road, he told The Freeman.

Abrematea further cited the still unrepaired damage of Dapdap Bridge in Alang-alang town and Hiagsam Bridge in Jaro town, which have given much inconvenience to motorists who had to take the longer detour via the San Miguel-Barugo road to and from Babatngon town and Tacloban City. — (FREEMAN)