DPWH to replace bamboo bridge with steel crossing in Oriental Mindoro
By Trixee Rosel
At A Glance
- DPWH will replace the fragile bamboo bridge in Sitio Akliyan and Sitio Panluan, Oriental Mindoro, with a steel crossing for safer daily travel.
- The project will benefit local residents, including the Tribong Mangyan community, and provide a permanent solution for both pedestrians and motorcycles.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon (front) is followed by Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor and other provincial officials as they inspect the bamboo bridge in Sitio Panluan, Bongabong. (Photo courtesy of DPWH)
Residents of Sitio Akliyan and Sitio Panluan in Oriental Mindoro will soon cross the river safely as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) plans to build a steel bridge to replace a fragile bamboo structure that has long threatened daily travel.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the project will ensure locals can traverse the river safely even during typhoons and heavy rains.
He added that the project will also benefit the Tribong Mangyan community.
The bamboo bridge frequently collapses during storms, forcing residents to rebuild it with limited materials.
Students, workers, and traders risk their lives daily just to reach schools, workplaces, and nearby markets.
“Ang negosyo at pamumuhay ng mga residente ay apektado dahil sa araw-araw na hirap na kanilang dinaranas para lang makatawid ng ilog (Residents’ livelihoods and daily lives are affected by the daily struggle just to cross the river),” Dizon noted.
Unlike the previous makeshift crossing, the planned steel bridge will support motorcycles, providing a permanent solution to a long-standing problem.