BACOLOD CITY – It was the easiest and fastest way, so residents were forced to tie a coffin to a rope and have it crossed a river through an improvised zipline in Barangay Hawaiian, Silay City, Negros Occidental.

The picture had gone viral on social media early this month, garnering mixed reactions from netizens.

Jenard Britanico, the one who uploaded of the photo on Facebook on June 1, said it was not a stunt or a show off. The coffin was meant for his deceased relative.

All he wanted to show was that the time-tested “bayanihan spirit” is still being practiced by residents in the village – nothing less.

They did so after the hanging bridge to the place of his relative was destroyed by massive flooding on January this year.

Thus, residents made up an improvised zipline for residents to cross the river using a tire tied to a rope.

However, the said post garnered negative comments from netizens, prompting Britanico to make a clarification.

The deceased was buried in Silay Public Cemetery on June 7 in the same way the coffin was brought to the house of the deceased – through zipline.

Barangay officials tried to find a way so the coffin would reach its final resting place without going through the zipline but to avail.

The path was tight and perilous, too.

Britanico, in a Facebook post, said he was saddened to know that some people made up speculations out of the photo.

Britanico said the family was asked if they would want the wake to be at the chapel or at the house, and the family of the deceased decided to have it at their house.

The residents then helped each other find a way to bring the coffin and other materials to the house by tying it into a rope to cross the zipline, he added.

Britanico said that he did not expect to receive such negative comments from the public, that also affected their family.

“Ang iban pa nga mga tinaga nga gin gamit niyo, tam-an ka sakit kag indi na maka-pamaayo kag wala nagahatag solusyon sa problema,” (The words that you used were hurtful and could not do any good, and could not give solution to the problem), Britanico said.

Britanico said that it was not their intention to destroy the image of the city, as he urged the people to stop making an issue out of it and to stop dragging it into politics.

He also asked the people for respect and appealed to them to stop commenting as they didn’t know the whole story.

Britanico said the local government unit led by Mayor Mark Golez had not neglected the problem and had immediately acted on it.

In fact, there were programs and projects prepared by the government to address the problem, he said. However, it haven’t been materialized yet, as assessment on the hazard factors in the area is ongoing, he added.

The zipline is just temporary to cope up with the daily activities of the residents in the area.

He also said the city government had already offered housing facilities for the affected residents, as the area poised some danger if they continue to stay there. But because of the pandemic, it got delayed, he added.

For his part, Barangay Captain Henry Belleza said the hanging bridge is part of the priority projects of third district Rep. Jose Franciso Benitez.

Belleza said that there are 43 houses and 50 families residing in the area.

He had also reached out to Britanico and explained to him the status of the project and the situation in the area.

Belleza added they are convincing the families in the area to apply for relocation through a non-government organization, as the area could pose some danger to the people there.

In fact, he said that 25 of them have already applied for relocation and waiting for the approval.

Belleza also said that the Department of Public Works and Highways is set to inspect and assess the area for the reconstruction the hanging bridge.