ILOILO CITY -- The Western Visayas regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-6) has lauded Senator Loren Legarda for her initiative to secure funding for a new bridge in Antique province after its old one collapsed during the onslaught of Tropical Storm Paeng last October.
DPWH-6 Regional Director Nerie Bueno credited Legarda for ‘relentlessly pursuing’ a P355 million fund for the construction of a new Paliwan Bridge, which connects the towns of Laua-an and Bugasong towns.
Bueno earlier told President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a briefing that it was better to build a parallel bridge than repair the 48-year old structure that cannot withstand anymore the impact of climate change.
“We observed that the water level in the river is rising. The construction bridge with higher elevation than the existing bridge is deemed necessary,” said Bueno.
The Paliwan Bridge is also a major thoroughfare for people and goods coming from northern Antique province and going to Iloilo City, the regional capital.