Aklan villagers hope new bridge will spur progress

MADALAG, Aklan—All her life 74-year-old Marietta Nemes had to ride a boat to cross the Aklan River from her hometown in Madalag to the neighboring Banga town in Aklan.

She had to pay from P5 to P10 for the boat ride that took around five minutes, but longer when the waters were rough.

The river can be dangerous when it swells after continuous rains or during storms. Several residents have drowned in the river over the years when their boats capsized or were carried by the strong current.

But on April 25, Nemes did not need to ride a boat to cross the river.

She and around 100 other Madalag residents walked on a newly constructed steel bridge and attended its blessing and inauguration rites.

“I am happy because we would not be forever riding on a boat to cross the river,” Nemes said.

The Commissioner Razon Tumbocon Haresco-Guadalupe Bridge connects Barangay (village) Daguitan in Banga and Barangay Logohon in Madalag, an upland town around 23 kilometers from the capital town of Kalibo.

The bridge spans 200 meters in length and 7 m in width and usable even by heavy vehicles.

Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez said the bridge was constructed from excess steel materials of the President’s Bridge Program (PBP) which was requested by the provincial government with the support of Kasangga Representative Teodorico Haresco, who formerly headed the PBP.

The provincial government allocated P20 million to fund the bridge’s approaches, base structures and labor.

Madalag Mayor Rex Gubatina said the bridge is the first to be constructed since Madalag became a separate town from Libacao in 1948.

“It will [have a great] impact on the lives of our people and this is a realization of our dreams,” he said.

Residents traveling from Madalag to Kalibo in the past had to take a motorcycle ride costing P10 before taking a boat to cross the river.

They could also travel by land for an hour passing the towns of Malinao, Lezo and Numancia before reaching Kalibo.

“With the bridge, travel to Kalibo would take just around 25 minutes and we would not have to risk our lives crossing the river,” Gubatina said.

He said transport of goods and products would also be faster and cheaper.

A fourth-class municipality (annual income: less than

P5 million), Madalag has 25 barangays with around 24,000 residents.

Gubatina said a bridge had constantly eluded the town due to its upland location and the high cost to construct a long bridge.

Edelzon Magalit, officer-in-charge of the Aklan provincial engineer’s office, said construction started in March 2010 but the project had to be suspended several times due to bad weather. The transfer of steel bridge materials from depots in Leyte, Bacolod and Aklan also took time.

Haresco, whose family comes from Aklan, said the bridge would also help stir the economy of Madalag and neighboring areas.

Madalag and the neighboring towns have pristine mountain ranges, forests and rivers ideal for trekking, mountain climbing, white water rafting and kayaking.

But residents of Madalag said the construction of the bridge is already a cause for celebration. “We never thought that there will come a time that we will have bridge here,” said Julieta Lalumen, 74.