MAJAYJAY, LAGUNA, Philippines—The two major bridges that collapsed in this town after the flash floods spawned by Typhoon “Santi” battered the viaducts on Oct. 31 were more than 400 years old.
The first one was the Grotto Bridge that stood over Ulya River and connected the villages of Coralao, Pangil and San Miguel to the Majayjay town proper.
The second was the San Isidro Bridge over Atilo River in Barangay San Isidro Suba which serves as the town’s major thoroughfare to Laguna’s capitol in Sta Cruz.
“It was the first time this happened here in many years,” said Anesio Tuyugun, chief of the village watchmen in Coralao.
Resident Arnold Ariva added that even before the town became known as Majayjay, these bridges already exist.
The collapse left a 10-meter gap in each of the two bridges.
Residents claimed that at the height of the typhoon, water from the Ulya River went over the 30-meter high Grotto Bridge and rose to about six feet above it.
“The water rose and subsided quickly,” said Ariva.
Two days after the typhoon’s onslaught, Majayjay Mayor Victorino Rodillas ordered the construction of temporary wooden bridges down the concrete viaduct where people could walk over to get to the other side of the gap.
The wooden bridge in San Isidro, however, also collapsed when the river rose again due to Typhoon “Tino,” prompting the authorities to build another one the following day.
“We now have to spend double for the oil. The route is also longer by an hour,” said Ariva, who is also a tricycle driver.
He said their concern now is how to bring sick persons to the hospital during an emergency. One has to cross over the broken bridges, from either side, to get to the Majayjay community hospital, the only one in the municipality.
“Good thing the municipal government had the ambulances stationed (at the bridges’ gaps) for such cases,” he added.
In a partial report from the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council, 161 families were affected and 37 homes were totally damaged by the typhoon here but no one was reported to have died.
In less than a week, Majayjay, a fourth class municipality, is slowly getting back on its feet from the devastation wrought by the typhoons.
The residents were able to rebuild their homes while others went to their relatives making it unnecessary for evacuation centers here, Rodillas said.
He said fallen posts were replaced and electric supply was restored two days after the typhoon.
Vice Mayor Avelino Merestela said a resolution by the municipal council is already under way seeking help from the provincial government and Congress for the rebuilding of the bridges. Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon
