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Another ‘a bridge too far’?
Earlier this month, I was reminiscing about a trip I made before the pandemic. I was in the Netherlands during one Holy Week to participate in the final defense of a PhD dissertation. I was the external panelist and was invited to be there in person. This was prior to the pandemic and the preference for online participation. I took advantage of the travel to make a side trip to a few locations I previously only watched onscreen. Several bridges there were subject of a World War II film, “A Bridge Too Far.” This was about the bridges the allies attempted to capture during Operation Market Garden. The term “a bridge too far” is now used to refer to the folly of going beyond what can really be achieved. It can also be used to refer to something (including bridges) that one sought to build or create but is just not called for or required.
I wrote in the past about projects that are nice to have but are not necessary or priority. These included bridge projects that are supposed to connect major islands in the Philippines. Given the limited resources we have and the long list of infrastructure projects that need to be prioritized, these shouldn’t be on top of a city’s or province’s list over projects like transit systems, affordable housing closer to workplaces and schools, and schools. And even if we did commit to bridges, it doesn’t make sense to build them where they are likely to cause more damage than benefits. One such bridge that is now in the pipeline and currently making the rounds of social media pages is the proposed bridge connecting Boracay Island to Panay Island. It simply doesn’t make sense to make a tourist attraction like Boracay more accessible to even more people. The island already exceeded its environmental carrying capacity many years ago and more people via this bridge will definitely be disastrous to its ecosystem aside from the social and economic impacts of the bridge.
I googled the land areas of three islands where bridges are proposed for construction. Here are the results:
“Guimaras is the largest of the three at roughly 611.87 square kilometers, followed by the Garden City of Samal at 301.35 square kilometers and Boracay, which is the smallest at only around 10.32 square kilometers. Guimaras is a province, Samal is a component city, and Boracay is a tiny tourism-focused island.”
While it might make sense for such bridges to be built to connect Iloilo with Guimaras and Davao with Samal Island, it doesn’t make sense for Boracay’s case. Guimaras and Samal will be better served by the bridges across many aspects of their being local government units and not just a tourist attraction. Guimaras’ mangoes, for example, can be transported more efficiently to Iloilo where a world class port can transport the fruits in bulk to destinations where they are in demand. The bridge will also ultimately link the island province to Iloilo’s airport. Both Guimaras and Samal have nice beaches and resorts but they are not the only attractions or activities of these islands. Granted that boatmen and maritime transport between the islands will be affected by the bridges, the impacts can probably be alleviated by a shift in their livelihoods (of course, with the assistance of government and partners). The perception is that Guimaras and Samal stand to gain more in terms of benefits while Boracay will deteriorate should it become so easily accessible.
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The unfinished Ungka flyover in Iloilo City
The Ungka flyover generated much controversy in Iloilo not just because it remain unfinished but the reasons why it is not completed. I assume that since this is a government project, budget is not really an issue. Projects like this can always have allocations as long as it sticks to the budget or any reasonable and justifiable adjustments (read: additional funds) for its completion. However, there are technical rather than budget issues that need to be addressed and which have major implications on the budget if retrofitting is required and undertaken. Otherwise, the capacity of the overpass is compromised and it will not function as originally planned. Following are photos I took last year coming from the airport to the city.
I decided to finish and publish this now as there is news that construction recently resumed. Hopefully, the issues have been addressed and this long delayed project can be completed to help alleviate congestion in the area.
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Safety roller barriers along Sumulong Highway
Last week, I observed that the DPWH is currently installing road safety barriers along a section of Sumulong Highway in Antipolo City. Previously, I posted about the same along the Antipolo-Teresa Road, which has treacherous zigzag sections. Here are photos of the ongoing installation work along Sumulong between Padi’s Point and the Oscar Lopez Center.
Here is a link to what these barriers are and how they help make roads safer for all users:
https://roadskyguardrail.com/what-is-a-safety-roller-barrier-a-comprehensive-guide
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Words of wisdom from the back of a taxicab
I was driving home from work one evening last week and was behind this taxi. As we were practically stopped due to the evening rush traffic jam, I was able to take this photo of a quote from the Bible that was displayed on a board installed behind the cab:
It is a very apt quote especially in these times when corruption is everywhere in the news.
The quote also reminded me of the families of those alleged to have been involved in corrupt practices. All those social media posts by the so-called nepo children of politicians, government officials and contractors bring these relatives in the fray, in the forefront of discussions. Are they innocent or be treated as so (based on the opinions of some people)? Or are they themselves guilty and even complicit of the corruption their parents are involved in? My take is that if the children are of toddler age or younger, then they shouldn’t be involved or shamed. They definitely do not know and not aware of what’s going on. But for the older children who are traveling, shopping and enjoying ill-gotten wealth, that’s a different story, even if they are still below 18 years old. They are aware. They already know of their excesses. Perhaps they have already been indoctrinated by their elders about their status and privilege, and think these are okay. Indeed, entire households can be liable and should suffer the consequences of their actions and excesses.
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Sins of omission at DPWH
I’ve been quite busy the past weeks due to various commitments including deadlines. Nevertheless, I have tried to be updated on the current events pertaining to the flood control scandal many government officials are now being linked to. These include the personalities involved, the projects and the amounts that are now the basis for a lot of people being horrified enough to be called into action. Apparently, many people have not been convinced enough of past misdeeds that have been reported; including the ones pertaining to abuses of uses of confidential funds.
I have hesitated to post on my thoughts about the mess at DPWH as I have many friend including past and present students who are with the Department. Some if not all I know to be sensitive to the corruption issues around the flood control projects. The latter apparently blew up in the faces of the officials of the agency and exposed them and their staff to a lot of ridicule (both warranted and not) and even harassment. Recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of posts from people who are supposedly with the DPWH. These posts are obviously apologists for certain officials considering the content of their writing. These are basically attempts to absolve those who claim to be clean among the DPWH staff and officials, and yet they have not done anything to correct these wrongdoings. This is what is called commiting ‘sins of omission’. By not doing anything for whatever reasons including being afraid to be a whistleblower (considering the consequences) means one is enabling or even encouraging the acts of corruption. In essence, they are being complicit by turning their blind eyes to the rotten eggs. This applies anywhere and not just to DPWH employees. And perhaps so many in government agencies are guilty of this.
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Flash floods in Quezon City
The rains poured again this afternoon and it was quite intense for more than an hour in Quezon City. We had floods at the UP campus and along Katipunan Avenue. Reports from various sources stated that there were also floods along EDSA and other major roads in the city. The floods come at a time when QC flagged flood control projects undertaken by the DPWH without the city’s blessings.
The flash floods were probably proof of the shoddy work associated with DPWH and its contractors. While QC residents and the LGU should share the blame for these, the scale and frequency of the floods indicate drainage issues.
The floods have led to intense traffic congestion and commuters being stranded due to public transport vehicles not being able to turn around. The latter is one of the cases where public transport appears to be lacking. Their numbers may not be lacking at all but the traffic conditions prevent their turnaround to address the demand for transport.
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Our clear and present problem with DPWH and certain contractors
I was going to write about the new taxi service and TNVS I used recently during this long weekend. Unfortunately, I lost focus and “gana” after reading about the collusion among DPWH officials and certain contractors about flood control projects. Here are my sentiments today that I shared on my social media account:
“Bakit walang pasok bukas? Kasi may nagbabadyang masamang panahon. Baka bumaha? Bakit babaha? Alam na siguro natin ang sagot sa tanong na ito? Damay-damay na yan. Resilience na lang ba ng mga taong nagbabayad ng buwis ang kasagutan? Di ba dapat may managot sa kung bakit patuloy tayong binabaha samantalang bilyones o trilyones ng kaban ng bayan ang ginagastos? Naiisip ba natin na yung pinagpaguran, pinagpapaguran at pagpapaguran natin ay napupunta sa mga nanlalamang? Wala nga siguro silang nararamdaman at napapansin habang nakasakay sa kabilang magagarang sasakyan. Tayo naman, hanggang tiis sa paglusong sa baha at mag ‘abangers’ sa anunsyo ng walang pasok.”
With the recent revelations of these contractors having the propensity to purchase luxury items like expensive vehicles, do we still wonder why these people cannot feel what ordinary people experience during these times of inclement weather? Hindi nga siguro maramdaman ang baha o ang mga lubak sa daan pag naka SUV ka. To be quite direct about this, I would like to personally drag them to experience the floods and maybe submerge their homes for a few days so we’re even. I am probably not alone with my sentiments.
Flood control is probably just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There are just so many other projects including roads and bridges that also need to be investigated for anomalies. Will the current administration act on this? Or are we just being taken for a ride with all these lip service and grandstanding by politicians and government officials?
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Pothole season
The heavy rains the past days have taken a toll on many roads. Special mention here would be city roads such as main arterials where traffic flow is affected by the pavement conditions. Here are a couple of photos of potholes along Katipunan Avenue.
The photos also reveal that cement concrete slabs are actually under the asphalt concrete. This means asphalt concrete was used more as an overlay to protect the cement concrete slab rather than as the main structural component that will carry the traffic loads. The pavement slabs may not necessarily be compromised but the hammering action of tires/wheels as they hit the potholes will definitely lead to more damage. The water, of course, is worrisome because once they seep or penetrate the cracks and interfaces between the slabs, they may compromise the layers beneath the slab. This will weaken the foundation of the pavement and lead to more critical damage. The challenge is how to repair these potholes when we are still experiencing heavy rains. Now that’s something the DPWH needs to figure out, learn and apply rather than the usual patch up work that results in mounds of asphalt replacing the potholes.
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On the collapse of a bridge in Isabela
A hot topic these days is the collapse of a span of a newly built bridge in Isabela. The alleged causes of the collapse included truck overloading, design flaws and inferior construction. Initial news reports and statements put the blame on the trucker and the designer with only a few suspicions thrown at the contractor. And then the current President of the country together with his DPWH Secretary inspected the site together. BBM was later quoted as saying the cause was a design flaw.
The bridge’s designer came out to state that it is not his fault. That could have been perceived as a self-serving statement until you delve into his explanation and check his credentials. The designer happens to be one if not the most experienced bridge engineer in the country. He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in reputable institutions (UP and Virginia Tech in the US, respectively). He taught bridge engineering in universities and is perhaps instrumental in civil engineers choosing to specialize in bridges. And he was a past president of the Association of Structural Engineers in the Philippines (ASEP). He knew what he was doing and the process requires for his design to be reviewed and approved by the DPWH prior to having the bridge constructed. If it passed the DPWH review and approval process, then it should be determined if the contractor was faithful to the execution of the design. Photos spreading over social media shows problems where the structure failed. And the quick assessment of many who are knowledgeable about structural engineering and construction is that apparently, the failure is due to the construction.
What happened? Wasn’t construction progress monitored? Were there inspections to determined whether the design was followed? One result of the suspicions being thrown at the people responsible for the bridge is the proliferation of ‘corruption’ as the root cause of the collapse. There are already clever memes of the bridge employing ‘steal design’ and ‘steal reinforcement’ obviously replacing ‘steel’ in the terms. While we inject humor into the situation, we cannot deny how serious the matter is and the implications of design specifications as well as the emergence of new truck types with higher payloads is to pavement engineering in general and bridge engineering in particular.
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On the pushback vs. bike lanes
I saw this short article at Planetizen that linked to another article that was the original one about cities dismantling or removing bike lanes. This is a very concerning trend in the US but something that’s also happening here. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has always been lukewarm to bike lanes (parang napipilitan lang), the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) seemed never to understand it (even during BF’s time as Chair), and many local government units that jumped on the bike lane bandwagon during the COVID-19 pandemic have reneged on their declared commitments. Currently, it seems that only cities like Quezon City and Iloilo City have sustained bike lanes development. Others have removed protected bike lanes or have not enforced vs. motor vehicles encroaching on the bike lanes.
Johnson, R. (February 18, 2025) “Cities Start to Backpedal on Bike Lanes: A Growing Crisis for Cyclists,” Momentum Mag, https://momentummag.com/cities-start-to-backpedal-on-bike-lanes-a-growing-crisis-for-cyclists/ [Last accessed: 3/2/2025]
To quote from the article:
“Bike lanes have become a culture war where those in favor are seen as “woke” or some other terrible conservative slur. But, most who use bike lanes are just regular people who want to save some money, and get the mental and health benefits to cycling to work.
Urban cyclists, bike commuters, and advocates for safer streets, have all noticed a troubling trend. What was once a symbol of progress toward sustainable transportation and safer roads for all is being reversed in multiple cities across North America.”
Will bike lanes and cyclists suffer similar setbacks here? Will the Department of Transportation (DOTr) continue to champion bike lanes? Will the agency be more aggressive and assertive of bike lanes development? Your guess is as good as mine!
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Caught (up) in traffic 