Marcos tasks DPWH to prioritize rehab of Paliwan Bridge in Antique

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. tasked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Western Visayas to prioritize the rehabilitation of the Paliwan Bridge in Antique, which was damaged by Tropical Storm Paeng last year.

“Nabanggit ko na po ito sa inyo noong 2022, ngunit uulitin ko na kailangang gawing prayoridad at madaliin ang rehabilitasyon ng Paliwan Bridge. Inaatasan ko ang Public Works ng Region VI na pagtuunan (ng pansin) para agarang magka-aksyon na dito sa pag-ayos at pagbuo nitong programa,” Marcos said.

(I've said this in 2022, I reiterate that the rehabilitation of Paliwan Bridge must be prioritized. I am directing the DPWH in Region VI to focus on this.)

The destruction of the bridge had isolated Antique from the rest of Panay Islands.

“[Inyo] pong madaliin ngunit dapat tiyakin ding matibay at hindi sub-standard ang pagkakagawa ng mga imprastraktura natin," added Marcos.

(As you hasten the rehabilitation, make sure that the materials that will be used are not substandard.)

Marcos made the statement during his visit to Antique to distribute rice to beneficiaries in the province. 

The Marcos administration has been prioritizing the rehabilitation of major infrastructures so that agricultural products could easily reach the market and trading centers.

This move will ensure the country's food security, according to the Presidential Communications Office.

To recall, Tropical Storm “Paeng” destroyed Antique’s two major bridges. A section of Paliwan Bridge, connecting Laua-an town in the north and Bugasong town in the south, collapsed due to rampaging water.

The weather disturbance also severely damaged Oyungan Bridge, which is Antique’s gateway to Iloilo province through the Iloilo towns of Miag-ao and San Joaquin. 

Meanwhile, Marcos also ordered the completion of a housing project by the National Housing Authority (NHA) in the province following Paeng's onslaught.

This as Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao announced that 770 families would receive the housing units by December.

“So, to know that we have 770 families who will spend this Christmas in their new home is one of the best news that I have heard in a long time,” Marcos said during the distribution of food aid and other assistance in San Jose town. —VAL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News