Thursday, August 04, 2005
More bridge projects completed
THE government's bridge program, which interlinks many isolated barangays to main road networks and communities all over Mindanao, gains more ground with the completion of 427 bridges in the Special Zones of Peace and Development (Szopad) in the island-region.
In its report, the "Tulay ng Pangulo sa Szopad" program stated that out of the targeted 526 bridges for construction from 2002 to 2005, 427 have already been completed.
Specifically, 132 of the completed bridges are located in Region IX, 57 in Region X, 66 in Region XI, 94 in Region XII, 38 in Caraga, 16 in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (Armm) and 24 in Palawan.
The "Tulay ng Pangulo sa Szopad" also reported that 63 other bridges are presently under construction, and 34 bridge projects for implementation.
Under the President's Bridge Program (PBP), the "Tulay ng Pangulo sa Szopad" project aims to provide communities an increased access to government services and economic opportunities.
Bridge projects under this program are included in the Mindanao National Initiatives (Mindanao Natin), the Arroyo administration's program that consolidates ongoing rehabilitation programs and projects that highly impact on Mindanao, particularly in the Muslim areas.
Also these bridges are seen to provide marginal farmers, grade school children and village tradesmen, among others, easy access to main roads and highways, and on to schools, commercial and government service centers.
Secretary Jesus Dureza, chair of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco), welcomed the completion of 427 bridges and once again stressed the vital role of bridges in bringing socio-economic opportunities and sustainable development to communities in the rural areas.
"The accessibility brought about by these bridges is indeed very crucial for rural development. With bridges, there is free and faster movement of people goods and service, which lead to more people-to-people interaction, and heightened civic consciousness," he said.
Dureza further added, "More importantly, through these bridges, government programs can now penetrate and deliver vital services to more remote rural areas. It is then important to sustain efforts for this strategy."
The bridges constructed by the "Tulay ng Pangulo sa Szopad" are made of durable and sturdy rust-proof steel components. With regular maintenance and normal use, the bridges are projected to last up to a hundred years.
Interestingly, a unit of this bridge only requires a month to complete, as long as the required materials and trained work force are on hand.
(August 4, 2005 issue)
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