This Gray Elephant

The building of this “gray elephant,” started sometime in December, 2011 and have been left untouched for almost two years now.  It can be found in Sitio Papaya [Rosaban] Bgy. Poonbato, Loob Bunga Resettlement Area, Botolan, Zambales. This would have eased access to and from Brgy. Poonbato as it crosses what seems to be a small river which easily turns deadly due to flash floods especially during heavy rains.

However, on its present stage, the bridge is useless and stands as a landmark of useless but costly government infrastructure projects. When nearby residents saw me taking pictures, they approached me and on condition of anonymity, volunteered some info regarding this idle and unfinished bridge. 

According to them, the project [construction of foundations and concrete landing] was started sometime on “Ber” months of 2011 [one of them asserted it was December], by a sub-contractor identified with a former mayor whose family is into construction business.  They could not ascertain if this was a DPWH [or other govt. agency] project since they could not recall seeing marked government vehicles during the progress of the construction of the bridge’s landing. 
                                                                                   

There was no billboard [or any “epal” sign] erected which would identify whose project was this.  All they could remember was hearing what a construction foreman said that, “this was a project of Senator Gringo Honasan.”  So much secretive atmosphere prevailed during the construction that according to my sources, “they just woke up one day in 2012, with the bridge’s steel spans already sitting on top of the the two concrete landings.”   I could not quite reconcile this information as it would normally take a heavy duty crane to lift those solid gray steel spans which is the main bridge.

Photo Ops

One “usi” [ususero or onlooker], volunteered that a few days after the erection of the main bridge, minus the finished landing, well dressed men in construction helmets came.  They climbed the bridge spans which were pre-asphalted and had a photo session. The group came with what appeared to the nearby residents as a professional photographer who was carrying a set of cameras which looked like more expensive than the handy cam I was carrying.  After that photo session, the bridge had been left untouched and unattended and exposed to various corrosive and harmful elements both natural and man made.
                                                                                                        On It's Way to Waste

As shown in the pictures, the river bank on the west landing of the bridge which used to run perpendicular with the structure is now gradually eroding.  Whereas before, according to the residents, that west end of the bridge touches the bank.  Now, the distance between the river bank and the bridge is around 6-8 meters owing to the erosion caused by flash floods. If no intervention is done, the danger of more erosion on the river bank remains possible which will make the bridge appear like a man made Steel Island in the middle of progressively widening river.  

The five pairs of I-beams which serve as the pillars of the concrete landing are already showing signs of corrosion.  I also noticed that those steel beams were not standing on concrete foundation.  This observation was confirmed by the kids who were playing near the foot of the bridge when they said; “Wala pong semento yan, ibinaon lang.”  Most of steel bars both at the west end and east side of the bridge which were purposely left protruding from the concrete foundation where additional concrete shall be attached later, were already gone, visibly cut by hacksaw.  The local residents said, “Kinakalakal po pag gabi.”

Paging Our LGU's

I don’t want to delve further on whose responsibility this unfinished construction should fall, lest I'd be accused of ghost hunting.  Neither do I want to dig dipper as to the veracity of some volunteered information that there were some local officials who unjustly gained out of this infrastructure project. I decided to bring this forward in my desire to call the attention of the present dispensation, both the municipal government of Botolan and the Zambales provincial government.  I also wonder whether our action lady Hon. Congresswoman Ching Deloso-Montalla of the 2nd District of Zambales can pull some strings to finish this valuable infrastructure.  

Let me add further my other observation anent the present condition of the nearby river banks.  The trajectory and terrain of the river running beneath this bridge produces fast and strong current during a flash flood.  With very little vegetation and no concrete riprap to hold the ground, chances are, in a few years time, this same river will swallow the adjacent plains.  I have seen a few cracks caused by erosion on the concrete pavement of the street which is the main road going to and from the Loob Bunga Resettlement area.  If no preemptive measures are done this early, we might once again end up seeing those “resettled eastern barangays” of  Botolan isolated.