Pasig village says no to bridge project

‘Not in my backyard’ The proposed route of the bridge rejected by residents of Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City. INQUIRER INFOGRAPHIC

MANILA, Philippines – One should never burn bridges, as the saying goes. But residents in Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City, are against the very idea of building one that would affect traffic in their community.

The Department of Public Works and Highways has drawn opposition over a bridge project that would cross Pasig River to connect Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in the Taguig-Makati area and Ortigas Center in Pasig.

Phase one of the project envisions a bridge from Sta. Monica Street in Kapitolyo, Pasig City, to Lawton Avenue, Makati. Phase two will run from Lawton to the BGC viaduct, then from Shaw Boulevard to the Sta. Monica viaduct.

“Why do we oppose it? As you can see, Kapitolyo is a residential area. If they build the bridge, traffic will worsen and the residents’ security will be at risk,” Barangay Kapitolyo chair Noel Pajara told the Inquirer in an interview.

According to Pajara, the proposed bridge was conceived during the time of then Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Bayani Fernando.

It was shelved, he recalled, but resurfaced again in December 2013. “We received a notice from DPWH that they will go ahead with the construction of the bridge. We were shocked by the news. So we sought the intervention of [Pasig City] Mayor Maribel Eusebio regarding this matter.”

A public consultation attended by Eusebio, DPWH officials and Kapitolyo residents was held two weeks ago in which the mayor suggested an alternative route. Instead of passing through Kapitolyo from Barangay Pineda, the bridge will be diverted to Pasig Boulevard, according to her proposal.

Pajara said diverting the bridge to Pasig Boulevard would be more economical for the government. “They will have less right of way problems if they use Pasig Boulevard instead. They can pass through the riverside which is not a residential area like Kapitolyo.”

The village official maintained that security and peace and order are the top concerns of his 15,000 constituents.

Once the bridge project is realized, an average of 30,000 vehicles will use it every day, yet currently “only five policemen watch over us (on a regular basis). Although we have 40 barangay tanod (village watchmen), that will not be enough to manage the peace and order situation.” After the consultation, the city government is waiting for an “ultimate design” from the DPWH incorporating the proposed alternative route.

Though Kapitolyo residents hope for the best solution, they are ready to go to court to prevent the construction of a bridge which Pajara said would pose a “disruption to our lives.”

Until then, streamers hanging on streets leading to the village—bearing the message “Save Barangay Kapitolyo! No to Sta. Monica-Lawton Bridge!”—should be enough to send the message across, he added.