Pulangbato bridge construction resumes

Local

CONSTRUCTION works at the long-delayed bridge in Barangay Pulangbato Bridge, Cebu finally resumed on Wednesday, August 20, with Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. pushing for round-the-clock construction to finish the project before the year ends.

The P27.9-million reinforced deck girder bridge in Sitio Candarong, Pulangbato will replace the makeshift bamboo footbridge that thousands of residents have depended on since Typhoon Odette destroyed the original structure in 2021.

Archival, who led the groundbreaking ceremony, said he asked the new contractor, SJ Bonifacio Builders, to fast-track the work by doubling shifts to day-and-night operations.

“Karon naka-perma naman ko sa contract, unya sa contract nakita nako nga six months ilang gibutang. Gihanyo nako ang contractor nga if possible ilang i-double time, meaning to say buntag gabie ilang trabaho,” the mayor said.

Archival acknowledged that the work may cause noise and disruption for nearby residents but appealed for patience. He stressed that an earlier completion, possibly by December, would serve as a “Christmas gift” to the people of Pulangbato.

The project has faced repeated setbacks after the first contractor, SBD Builders Inc., failed to deliver, completing only 36.02 percent of the work despite a P24-million contract awarded in 2023.

With a negative slippage of 63.98 percent, the City Council terminated the contract and declared a state of emergency in Pulangbato last April to fast-track construction.

Archival confirmed that about P7 million had already been released as a down payment to the previous contractor. The city has now allocated an additional P28 million to cover the new contract and increased construction costs.

He added that minor plan revisions were made, but assured that materials already in place, such as installed posts, will be reused. To avoid delays, he also directed the contractor to tap directly into VECO for electricity instead of relying on generators.

“Giingnan nako sila nga make sure mahuman ta ug dali, that’s why ug naay kakulian ilang tabangan and possible 24 hours gyud ang trabaho. Ako ning atangan gyud,” Archival said.

The mayor earlier emphasized that the unfinished bridge has posed daily safety risks for residents of Pulangbato and nearby barangays, who cross a fragile bamboo footbridge to reach schools, workplaces, and neighboring upland communities.

The urgency was highlighted last July when a 21-year-old hiker drowned at a nearby waterfall in Barangay Budlaan after being swept away by rising floodwaters.

Archival said the tragedy revealed the dangers of inadequate infrastructure in mountain barangays.

“Dili ta ganahan nga naa nasay sunod nga madisgrasya,” he said.

The mayor vowed close monitoring of the project to prevent further delays.

“Two years na nga delay ang project, pero kaning problema sa bridge kay 20 years na. Dili na puwede nga padayon ta’g hulat,” Archival said.

The City Hall is eyeing the bridge’s completion by December 2025, two months ahead of the six-month target, if 24-hour work is sustained.(TGP)