by JUNE S. BLANCO
REP. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) has filed separate bills to build bridges for Bien Unido and Talibon towns. as well as Ubay and the island municipality of Pres. Carlos P. Garcia.
Bien Unido and Talibon in Bohol’s northern tip are both on the mainland, but they are points on promontories separated by a bay. In his explanatory note, Aumentado said a bridge – designed according to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) standards – will cut travel time in half and speed up the transfer of people and goods.
Aumentado said this means the cost of goods will go down hence, prices of commodities will reduce. The market linkage will also spur economic development for the two towns.
The solon also passed a similar bill for Pres. CPG and Ubay. However, the bridge project cannot proceed unless the one-lane wharf in the former is improved and expanded.
He said he had anticipated this situation – and had sourced out earlier, P20 million from last year’s savings of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) for the Popoo Wharf in Pres. CPG and P60 million for the Tapal Wharf in Ubay.
Aumentado thanked the Provincial Development Council (PDC) for endorsing the Popoo-Tapal bridge, and the development of the Ubay airport. This will make his father’s and immediate predecessor Erico B. Aumentado’s dreams of connecting the island to the mainland and the operationalization of the Ubay airport come true.
The son had taken over where the father left off – ensuring that funds are available from the national coffers for the purpose.
Aumentado said the PDC move, triggered by resolutions that Board Member Gerardo Garcia authored and filed with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, bolsters the crack at realization of his father’s unfinished projects that he had also supported through the securing of funds from the savings especially of the concerned national agencies.