Infrastructure projects should be designed to withstand natural forces caused by climate change as storms and typhoons are expected to be more intense and frequent.
Senator Loren Legarda, an environmentalist, made the call after a 51-meter section of the 300-meter Paliwan bridge in Panay collapsed, isolating two towns.
‘’Yung mayor ng dalawang bayan nagtulungan na footbbridge na gawa sa kawayan, ginagawa na at hindi magaantay ng bagong taon na budget ang reconstruction (The mayors of the two towns are helping each other put up a footbridge made of bamboo as they could not wait for next year’s budget, which carries funds for reconstruction),’’ she said.
Legarda did not mention the names of the two towns having jurisdiction over the Paliwan bridge during a DWIZ radio interview Saturday, Nov. 12.
She said there were funds for the retrofitting of Paliwan bridge to be used right after severe storm ‘’Paeng’’ hit the Viasays and Mindanao.
The lady legislator said Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district office and Region 6 met with DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan on the bridge issue.
Legarda said she promised that she would work for the setting aside of P300 million for a new bridge in the DPWH 2023 budget.
She stressed that the Paliwan bridge is old.
Legarda said the structural strength of bridges should be assessed and prioritized by rhe DPWH.
Asked on long term solutions, Legarda recalled having stated that storms or typhoons from 1998 onward would be more intense and more frequent.
In Pilipino, Legarda said: ‘’Ano dapat gawin tawag dyan adaptation (What should be done is adaptation), paggawa ng infra dapat maayos paggawa kanal, dike, proteksyon ng slopes, di nagpuputol punong kahoy (infrastructure projects should be done correctly), kailangan din mangroves o bakawan natural na seawall para coastal municipalities at barangay (We need mangroves which are natural seawalls for coastal municipalities and barangays), ito po ang natural solutions (these are natural solutions). Magtanim ng marami, wag putulin punungkahoy.ang ating mga daluyan ng tubig para di madaling magbaha wag tatapunan ng dumi na plastic at kung anu ano pa, iihiwalay ang basura (Plant more, don’t cut trees, clear waterways to avoid flooding and don’t make waterways as garbage dumps), magtanim ng gulay o pagkain o puno na maaaring pagkunan ng pagkain sa backyard, eskwelahan barangay para meron tayong source of foods at makakanegosyo tayo (plant vegetables or food or trees at backyards as source of food and business).’’
‘’Early warning system na dumarating naman many days before translate sa dialect o lenggwahe na naiintindihan ng tao.(Early warning system comes days before in a dialect or language that people understand). Dapat seryosohin ang mga warning ng coast guard (Warnings of the Coast Guard must be heeded). Mga magsasaka magharvest earlier (Farmers should harvest earlier). Maraming tubig pwede magtatag ng rain water catchment. Sayang ang tubig (Waters could be stored in water catchments). Mitigation pagbabawas ng greenhouse gas emission gawin ng malalaking bansa kailaangan makiisa tayo (Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions should be done by big countries. And we should do the same). From fossil to renewable energy, ilan lang po yan sa alituntunin na ating inaadbokasiya (From fossil to renewable energy is but one of my advocacies),’’ she added.