IF PREVIOUS government projects are any indicator, promises that concerns would be addressed could actually mean delay rather than real solutions.
In the province of Aklan, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is setting its sight in the construction of a 2.54-kilometer limited access bridge that would connect the world famous Boracay Island to Caticlan.
The project, which would involve San Miguel Holdings Corporation through a public-private partnership (PPP), costs P8 billion and a 30-year concession covering design, construction, operation, and maintenance.
Proponents of the project say the bridge will improve year-round access, make it easier to move goods, waste, and utilities, and reduce dependence on boats.
LOCAL RESISTANCE
Local folks however don’t seem receptive to the idea amid fears of environmental damage, loss of livelihoods for boat operators and port workers, forced relocation and overdevelopment of the island. Even the local government has already expressed its objection to the project.
The local folks likewise cited the failure of the government to consult the residents — including the indigenous groups.
Currently, locals and tourists reach Boracay by flying to Caticlan or Kalibo, traveling by tricycle or van to the Caticlan Jetty Port, paying environmental and terminal fees of roughly a few hundred pesos, and riding a small outrigger boat for about 10 to 15 minutes across the strait to Boracay.
CRUCIAL PROJECT
However, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon maintains that the project is an important infrastructure initiative and that consultations are being done and concerns will be addressed.
“We are assuring the residents there and the stakeholders that whatever grievances they have and whatever their concerns, all of those concerns need to be addressed and all those concerns need to be satisfied,” he said.
But the question is: Do we need more bridges?
CONNECTIVITY ISSUES
An elderly native earlier told The PH Insider that back then, they would simply cross the clean knee-deep river to get to the other barangay. It would only take a minute.
Today, both tourists and locals have to ride about 10 minutes just to get to some place where you can wave and talk to the person on the other side of the river.
Historian Ambeth Ocampo previously wrote an article in his column —“It is the map that made me rethink what I was taught in grade school – that an archipelago was a group of islands separated by water… before Spanish contact, the Philippine archipelago was actually connected by water.”
Proof of this is our balangays, which showed Filipino maritime expertise and our sense of community. The word barangay is derived from it.
REDISCOVERING PH
In a book entitled “The Philippines Is Not a Small Country,” its author, anthropologist Gideon Lasco talked about rediscovering our maritime consciousness.
He said that even as the country struggles with land transportation issues, waterways are neglected and treated as dumps when that should not be the case.
Many of us can’t swim, much less sail, to save our lives.
“While our archipelagic nature may have held us back as a nation, it can also be our strength – if only we can rediscover and reclaim our maritime consciousness,” he said.
NOT JUST WHITE SANDS
This makes Boracay more than just white sands and crystal-clear waters. It is a glimpse of the early Filipinos.Back then, boats were the main means of transportation and Filipinos were maritime experts.
It offers us a chance to live like our ancestors, even for a while, by traveling through the waters while living with nature. It is one of the few cultural survivors left of our maritime consciousness.
Then again, global warming and climate change, among many other factors, have made maritime travel more difficult and less reliable, especially during emergencies, especially in a country frequently hit by typhoons.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Boracay Island only has one public hospital, the Ciriaco S. Tirol Hospital, and more advanced and specialist care are typically referred outside the island.
There are also reports of overpricing by travel and tour agencies, especially involving tourists.
Floating docks can also be a real inconvenience, especially for senior citizens and persons with disability (PWD).
NOT BEST IDEA
That is why a bridge is a good idea. It will absolutely make access to the island faster and more convenient for the modern Filipino.But it might not be the best idea.
The old system is not perfect, but it is working.
Maybe Boracay is meant to be experienced starting with a boat ride, and maybe it is better off without a bridge.
Its potential harm on the bangkeros’ livelihood against businessmen’s profits is also not fair.
Instead of an ₱8 billion bridge, local folks urged the government to spend funds for the construction of a better hospital, lower fees, better boats and port infrastructure, and sustainability efforts for the island.
Improve what is already working, so to speak, rather than risk losing it. Unless the government can actually balance progress and preservation, hands off! Boracay is better off without the bridge.