Gov't urged to repair Tunggol Bridge now, not after its approach breaks

TUNGGOL, Maguindanao (Sept. 8/NDBC) -- Residents in Datu Montawal, Maguindanao, especially those leaving near the Tunggol Bridge, fear if government does not act quickly, the approaches of the vital infrastructure might collapse and along with it the areas’ economy.Regional and provincial government officials have already raised the alarm about the sorry condition of Tunggol Brigde, a vital connection across the man-made channel that borders Datu Montawal and Pagalungan, all in Maguindanao.Both Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Maguindanao Governor Esmael Toto Mangudadatu have vocal concerns over the status of the bridge that connects ARMM to North Cotabato’s second district and Davao region.Local residents here said they fear more than any one because they were the ones to be directly affected.A mother, clutching her 3-year-old son and identify herself as Sumayra, said it would be added cost daily for her because her children need to pay their way to school. Tatawid ang mga anak ko sa ilog, sasakay ng bangka, siyempre may bayad na, papunta at pabalik (In going to and from school, my children need to take banca that entails fare),” she said.Village watchman Mautin Kudang, also of Barangay Tunggol and a pump boat owner-operator, said he had mixed reactions, that is, both happy and sad.Happy because he will have additional income in ferrying the passengers and, sad, because definitely the prices of fuel and other basic commodities will rise as well, Kudang said.The Datu Montawal municipal building is no stranger to floods, it being situated in a low-lying area and about 300 meters away from Tunggol Bridge.Kudang said if the river overflows, the town hall will be submerged. And along with it are rice fields and residential areas nearby. The Tunggol river almost overflowed few years ago and flooded rice and corn fields beside it,” he recalled. I hope it will not happen again,” he said in the vernacular.Another resident, named Matalam Karim, a farmer, said he wondered why the public works agency that started working on the concreting of Tunggol Bridge approaches suddenly vanished. Bigla man nawala yong mga heavy equipment diyan sa tulay, pati contractor (Suddenly heavy equipment and personnel working on the river banks near the bridge’s approaches vanished, including contractors),” Karim said, adding in jest baka may extortion (maybe there were extortionists).”Viewed from under the bridge, damage concrete walls due to strong water currents during floods was awful.When asked how the bridge could stand another strong water current, Karim quickly saidand It cannot stand another strong floods at all, good if only bicycles cross the bridge.”What also bothered Karim was the water current.Elsewhere in the 60 to 80 meter wide Tunggol river, the water flow was calm. But as the water flows toward the bridge's approach and foundation, the current strengthens and tumultuous, thus quickly eroding the soft soil.He invited passers-by and observers to stay atopTunggol Bridge while a cargo truck passes by.Indeed the bridge was fluctuating. Looking from above, Tunggol bridge is like any other bridges in the Davao-Cotabato highway. Tunggol Bridge falling down is one thing I don’t want to hear or see,” Mangudadatu said in a phone interview.He said he personally alerted Public Works Sec. Rogelio Singson about the bridge's sorry state.Equally concern is Abdullah Sulayman Kega, a passenger van driver daily crossing the bridge to Davao. Pag nasira yan sir, apektado kami, iikot kami sa Tacurong at mas malaki ang gasto pero walang dagdag sa pasahe (If the bridge collapses, we too are affected because we need to divert to Tacurong with more fuel consumption but no fare increase),” he said.Ronald Caumbo, Datu Montawal municipal planning and development council, told local TV station the soil from both sides of the river is made of what locals call Kabacan clay, soft soil that easily carried away by rampaging waters.Because the river bed and river banks were made of soft clay, flood water could easily trigger soil erosion.He said public works established river walls to prevent erosion but the steel columns put up near one of the approaches were also carried away by water.Kudang, Sumayra, Karim and Kegas, all have one urgent appeal, that is, for the government to act and act quickly. We hope our government will act now and not after the bridge will collapse, sana now na,” Kudang, Sumayra, Karim and Kega separately said. (NDBC)