Tiwi mayor urges fast repair of storm-hit bridges

TIWI, Albay - Mayor Jaime Villanueva has urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 1st Engineering District to immediately repair infrastructure damaged by Tropical Depression "Usman" in this town.

Villanueva said he is worried that if another typhoon hits and the bridges rendered impassable by "Usman" are still not repaired, it will only lead to greater damage.

He said the Nagas 1 bridge only has one lane open after its approach developed cracks due to flooding last December.

According to Villanueva, another Usmantype storm could collapse the bridge and isolate the town.

He said in case the bridge connecting the town of Malinao and Tiwi collapses, the DPWH should identify an alternate road so that relief operations and other emergency aid from Legazpi City or Metro Manila could pass through.

According to Tess Mañago, public information officer of DPWH 1st Engineering District, damage to infrastructure in the 1st District of Albay totalled P3,302,194,518.

Mañago said that among the damaged bridges in the 1st District is the newly constructed Nagas 1 bridge.

According to Mañago, they have already requested the DPWH central office for the rehabilitation of Usmandamaged infrastructure, with the amount of P3.3 billion needed for it coming from the agency's calamity fund.

“We are trying to remedy the situation while waiting for the budget for the repair to be released. The contractor of the bridge is working on the repairs as this still falls under their contract. We expect the repair work to be finished within a month-and-a-half but it also depends on the weather,” he said.