BOLINAO, Pangasinan — Santiago Island’s seven barangays will soon be connected to the mainland via a bridge to be constructed within the next two years using the steel frames of the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge, or the Rockwell Bridge.
“Building a bridge on Santiago Island, which is the single largest island in Pangasinan that remains isolated from the province, will be a big help to the community and will further boost the tourism economy in Bolinao,” said Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim Jr..
The island’s seven villages are Binabalian, Goyoden, Lucero, Pilar, Salud, Dewey, and Victory.
In an interview Tuesday, former Department of Transportation (DOTr) undersecretary Tim Orbos said he and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Danilo Lim, MMDA General Manager Jose Arturo Garcia, and Rep. Amado Espino Jr. met two weeks ago to finalize the agreement about the bridge steel frames donation to Pangasinan.
Orbos earlier said the Rockwell Bridge would be replaced with a permanent steel and concrete bridge to cater to more vehicles and cope with extreme events, such as a strong earthquake.
He noted the bridge’s frame would already cut 40 percent to 50 percent of the total cost of the bridge to be constructed in Bolinao town.
“We will have to wait for the next General Appropriations Act to have the funding for the construction of the bridge,” he added.
Governor Amado Espino III will soon enter into a memorandum of understanding with the DPWH and MMDA for the donation of the Rockwell Bridge’s steel frames following Monday’s approval by Sangguniang Panlalawigan members through a resolution.
