Story & Photos By
JOSEPHINE M. MENDOZA
JOSEPHINE M. MENDOZA
FOUR BRIDGES along the 43.338-kilomenter Carolina, Can-avid – Dolores – Maslog Road remain impassable. Structures of the bridges are reported completed but awaits completion of the bridge approaches.
Remaining works on the approaches make these bridges disconnected to the main road.
Vehicles and pedestrians use detour routes built below the bridges to get to the other side of the road.
A motorist slowly negotiates a muddy detour route below Villahermosa Bridge and trucks sluggishly progress thru a temporary passage under Hinolaso Bridge II on a day of intermittent rains along this road.
On reaching the main road, the motorists parked their vehicle by the side to rub-off the clay that accumulated on the wheels of their motorcycle during the drive. Mud on their feet are washed with murky rainwater contained in potholes along the road while the trucks continue to run at a gradually increasing speed. The vehicles were heading to the Municipality of Maslog.
“We seldom take this road because it is very rough that even worsens during rainy days like this,” says 27-year-old Daisy (not her real name), the back-rider of the motorbike in the picture who was on her way home from the Municipality of Can-avid with her husband driving.
“Even on fair weather days, we still choose to take the Dolores River thru a boat (locally called “sampan”) which takes us 5 hours or longer to reach the commercial areas of Dolores or Can-avid where we buy household commodities and other stuff because motorbikes cannot carry large cargoes,” another motorist added but who requested not to be identified.
There is still no regular public utility land transportation that take passengers and their cargoes from Maslog to Can-avid and vice versa since the roads were opened in 2012 and the bridges were reported completed in 2021.
Thru the PAMANA programs, (PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn) the road was opened in 2012 and construction of bridges were funded in 2018.
Tatay Renato, a 71-year-old farmer of Barangay Villahermosa, Dolores, Eastern Samar has been farming with his siblings since he was a teenager to assist his parents. Farming is also his main source of livelihood to raise and support his own family of 8 children.
“I have been a farmer for over 50 years now but even during the time of my parents, we have not ventured into large scale farming because of the difficult and high cost of transporting our goods to the markets of nearby towns,” Tatay Renato said adding that “I still hope that in my lifetime access of these roads will improve so my family may consider increasing our produce for more income because I still want to be around to guide my children to venture into commercial production of fruit vegetables.”
“Our situation along this road gets worse during days of continuous heavy rains because water from Dolores River overflow to detour routes and engulf Villahermosa Bridge,” Tatay Renato said emphasizing that the same situation happens to the 3 bridges in Barangay Hinolaso of the Municipality of Dolores.
The farmers pay Php100.00 per sack of copra or rootcrops to cross a bridge on a “sampan” during floods. Bigger and heavier cargoes, including motorbikes are charged of Php300.00
Remaining works on the approaches make these bridges disconnected to the main road.
Vehicles and pedestrians use detour routes built below the bridges to get to the other side of the road.
A motorist slowly negotiates a muddy detour route below Villahermosa Bridge and trucks sluggishly progress thru a temporary passage under Hinolaso Bridge II on a day of intermittent rains along this road.
On reaching the main road, the motorists parked their vehicle by the side to rub-off the clay that accumulated on the wheels of their motorcycle during the drive. Mud on their feet are washed with murky rainwater contained in potholes along the road while the trucks continue to run at a gradually increasing speed. The vehicles were heading to the Municipality of Maslog.
“We seldom take this road because it is very rough that even worsens during rainy days like this,” says 27-year-old Daisy (not her real name), the back-rider of the motorbike in the picture who was on her way home from the Municipality of Can-avid with her husband driving.
“Even on fair weather days, we still choose to take the Dolores River thru a boat (locally called “sampan”) which takes us 5 hours or longer to reach the commercial areas of Dolores or Can-avid where we buy household commodities and other stuff because motorbikes cannot carry large cargoes,” another motorist added but who requested not to be identified.
There is still no regular public utility land transportation that take passengers and their cargoes from Maslog to Can-avid and vice versa since the roads were opened in 2012 and the bridges were reported completed in 2021.
Thru the PAMANA programs, (PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn) the road was opened in 2012 and construction of bridges were funded in 2018.
Tatay Renato, a 71-year-old farmer of Barangay Villahermosa, Dolores, Eastern Samar has been farming with his siblings since he was a teenager to assist his parents. Farming is also his main source of livelihood to raise and support his own family of 8 children.
“I have been a farmer for over 50 years now but even during the time of my parents, we have not ventured into large scale farming because of the difficult and high cost of transporting our goods to the markets of nearby towns,” Tatay Renato said adding that “I still hope that in my lifetime access of these roads will improve so my family may consider increasing our produce for more income because I still want to be around to guide my children to venture into commercial production of fruit vegetables.”
“Our situation along this road gets worse during days of continuous heavy rains because water from Dolores River overflow to detour routes and engulf Villahermosa Bridge,” Tatay Renato said emphasizing that the same situation happens to the 3 bridges in Barangay Hinolaso of the Municipality of Dolores.
The farmers pay Php100.00 per sack of copra or rootcrops to cross a bridge on a “sampan” during floods. Bigger and heavier cargoes, including motorbikes are charged of Php300.00
FINISHED BUT INACCESSIBLE BRIDGES: Villahermosa Bridge is 4 kilometers away and the first bridge from the Municipality of Maslog, Eastern Samar on the way to the national highway in Can-Avid. It is one of the four bridges along this road.
Other 3 bridges are Hinolaso 1, Hinolaso 2 and Hinolaso 3, all of Barangay Hinolaso, in the Municipality of Dolores, Eastern Samar. (All in the photo)
Construction of the 4 bridges was implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the year 2018. It was this year when PAMANA downloaded the funds of Php26M (Villahermosa), Php18M (Hinolaso 1), Php23M (Hinolaso 2), and Php50M (Hinolaso 3).
“All of the four bridges were built higher than what was specified in the original plan when it was funded in 2018 due to environmental issues not seen when the original plan was submitted and provided of funds ,” says DPWH 8 Assistant Regional Director Ma. Margarita C. Junia who was District Engineer in Eastern Samar in 2018 until her promotion in May 2023.
“The flood that happened while the construction works on the bridges were going-on made our engineers decide to raise the height of these bridges,” Junia explained.
“Raising the bridges required an increase in the volume of work, including quantities on the embankment which costs were not covered in the original allocations, thus needing a request for additional fund provisions.” the ARD said.
In April 24, 2023, ARD Junia, then Eastern Samar District Engineer, addressed a letter to the Office of the Minority Leader 4Ps Representative, Marcelino C. Libanan that submitted a “list of projects needed to complete Can-avid-Dolores-Maslog Road” amounting to Php930M.
Included in the list, among others, were fund requirements to complete works on the bridges, namely: Villahermosa (P90M), Hinolaso 1 (P90M), Hinolaso 2 (P90M) and Hinolaso 3(95). The provisions will cover a total 8,835 cubic meters of works on the embankments for the approaches that will connect the bridges to the main road.
Other projects under the Php930M requested funds are all intended to complete accessibility and mobility thru the Can-avid – Dolores - Maslog Road. Rehabilitation works for a total of 3,234 meters in 3 barangays requires Php285M. Road Construction of 3,841 meters in 3 other Barangays need P280M.
Other 3 bridges are Hinolaso 1, Hinolaso 2 and Hinolaso 3, all of Barangay Hinolaso, in the Municipality of Dolores, Eastern Samar. (All in the photo)
Construction of the 4 bridges was implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the year 2018. It was this year when PAMANA downloaded the funds of Php26M (Villahermosa), Php18M (Hinolaso 1), Php23M (Hinolaso 2), and Php50M (Hinolaso 3).
“All of the four bridges were built higher than what was specified in the original plan when it was funded in 2018 due to environmental issues not seen when the original plan was submitted and provided of funds ,” says DPWH 8 Assistant Regional Director Ma. Margarita C. Junia who was District Engineer in Eastern Samar in 2018 until her promotion in May 2023.
“The flood that happened while the construction works on the bridges were going-on made our engineers decide to raise the height of these bridges,” Junia explained.
“Raising the bridges required an increase in the volume of work, including quantities on the embankment which costs were not covered in the original allocations, thus needing a request for additional fund provisions.” the ARD said.
In April 24, 2023, ARD Junia, then Eastern Samar District Engineer, addressed a letter to the Office of the Minority Leader 4Ps Representative, Marcelino C. Libanan that submitted a “list of projects needed to complete Can-avid-Dolores-Maslog Road” amounting to Php930M.
Included in the list, among others, were fund requirements to complete works on the bridges, namely: Villahermosa (P90M), Hinolaso 1 (P90M), Hinolaso 2 (P90M) and Hinolaso 3(95). The provisions will cover a total 8,835 cubic meters of works on the embankments for the approaches that will connect the bridges to the main road.
Other projects under the Php930M requested funds are all intended to complete accessibility and mobility thru the Can-avid – Dolores - Maslog Road. Rehabilitation works for a total of 3,234 meters in 3 barangays requires Php285M. Road Construction of 3,841 meters in 3 other Barangays need P280M.
DISCREPANCIES IN EMBANKMENT VOLUME REQUIRMENT: The total volume of embankment for the 4 bridges as initially funded was 6,144.02 cubic meters. With the variations implemented on the height of all of the four bridges, actual field conditions still require 8,835.00 cubic meters of embankment works for funding.
Newly appointed DPWH-Eastern Samar District Engineer, Alvin Ignacio expressed optimism about the initiatives and representation of House Minority Leader (4Ps Representative) Marcelino Libanan in sourcing of funds to provide for the imementation of the remaining works.
“Completion of embankment works that will connect all of these 4 bridges to the main road will improve accessibility of this road project. Other projects to complete the road such as rehabilitation of existing parts of road is also valuable for an increased mobility along the road,” DE Ignacio said.
Meanwhile, all vehicles accessing the road from the national highway in Can-avid to the Municipality of Maslog and vice versa, will have to go thru detour passages under these bridges until bridge approaches are funded, implemented and completed. (CJ/JMM)
Newly appointed DPWH-Eastern Samar District Engineer, Alvin Ignacio expressed optimism about the initiatives and representation of House Minority Leader (4Ps Representative) Marcelino Libanan in sourcing of funds to provide for the imementation of the remaining works.
“Completion of embankment works that will connect all of these 4 bridges to the main road will improve accessibility of this road project. Other projects to complete the road such as rehabilitation of existing parts of road is also valuable for an increased mobility along the road,” DE Ignacio said.
Meanwhile, all vehicles accessing the road from the national highway in Can-avid to the Municipality of Maslog and vice versa, will have to go thru detour passages under these bridges until bridge approaches are funded, implemented and completed. (CJ/JMM)
