Parañaque residents decry slow work on Don Galo-La Huerta bridge

Some 200 Parañaque City residents held a two-hour indignation rally against the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for their apparent slow action on a 100-year-old bridge.

The residents, calling themselves members of the Bayang Nagkakaisa Laban sa Pagkasira ng Tulay (BNLPT), expressed concern that the DPWH would not be able to meet its deadline and finish repairs on the Don Galo-La Huerta bridge by April.

Conrado Espiritu, chairman of the St. Andrew Cathedral lay leaders and a BNLPT organizer, said they are dismayed because "since they started on the bridge’s rehabilitation last September, workers have only put up four foundation posts."

The holding of a rally, he stressed, was the initiative of the residents and business establishments burdened by the closure of the bridge, and not politically motivated.

"The contractors placed a temporary footbridge, but it is made of coco lumber and it wobbles. There have been claims that some people have met accidents there," Espiritu said.

Seeking answers on the cause of delay, residents did some research and found out that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) reportedly pledged to fund 55 percent of the P30- million reconstruction project, while the DPWH would shoulder the 45 percent.

However, they learned from DPWH consultants that they would not be able to cough up their share of the expenses because the repairs on the said bridge was not stipulated in their budget. "Sa madaling salita mauumpisahan man ang tulay ay ‘di ito kayang tapusin," BNLPT said.

A sign on the bridge stated that from Dec. 1, 2003 to Jan. 3 this year, work on the bridge would be halted because of the Christmas traffic.

But yesterday afternoon, there were no workers sighted on the bridge. The bridge is the primary connection between four barangays, namely: Don Galo, La Huerta, San Dionisio and Tambo.

A concerned citizen said the business have also suffered. Without the bridge, clients are unable to reach their points of destination. One food store in La Huerta reportedly suffered a loss of 50 percent in sales.

Monsignor Bayani Valenzuela, a parish priest of St. Anthony Cathedral, said for months they have also noticed a decline in Sunday Mass attendance. Also, a result of poor road access, they noticed there has been a reduction of enrollees in schools for the schoolyear 2004-2005. The St. Paul College of Parañaque is also affected.

Valenzuela suggested that the community must exert peaceful means of pressure to force the contractors to complete the job. "Why don’t we set up a large billboard that would count down the days contractors have until April?"

He said that only 15 to 20 percent of the project has been completed. "If they meet their April deadline, I would be the first one to congratulate them."

Sources at the Parañaque City Hall said Mayor Joey Marquez would be inviting DPWH officials on Friday to discuss measures that would speed up work on the bridge.