Residents to barricade bridge construction- Macanlalay

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO- The former mayor and incumbent vice mayor of this rice-cake producing town warned the Department of Public Works & Highway (DPWH) that many residents would barricade the upcoming construction of the Villamil (formerly Marusay) Bridge that connects this town center to the towns and San Carlos City.

Vice Mayor Roy Macanlalay said the grumbling by the residents was blamed on the silence of the engineers of the DPWH whether or not they would construct a temporary foot bridge during the construction.

Villamil Bridge caters to the residents of Barangays Mancup, Talibaew, and Buenlag who study at the government- owned Central Elementary School located at the town proper.

“As I heard, they would vehemently protest the construction if they would be required to use the by-pass road (in Sitio Pogo in Brgy. Nalsian) to and from their homes. It means it would be another financial burden on their parts as their children would pay more for the motorized- trike fare,” he stressed.

Vice Mayor Macanlalay  said when engineers from the DPWH made a courtesy call at his office, they would not tell him how much amount was appropriated for the construction of the new bridge.

He wondered why they would not disclose the amount as the appropriation for the bridge comes from a grant of the Spanish government.

He said its construction has long been mulled after it was damaged by the 1990 killer quake that wrought havoc in some towns and cities in Pangasinan.

“I could not understand why the public works office would not allow the construction of a foot-bridge as it is favorable to the sub-contractor of the DPWH that would hire the former to do the construction,” he said.

Macanlalay is the father of this town’s mayor Mark Roy who replaced the former as the chief executive in 2010.

Meanwhile, in a press conference held at Dagupan City recently, Rep. Rachel Arenas (2rd District, Pangasinan) said the planned protest by residents here could be avoided as she would initiate a meeting between this town’s officials and residents and the concerned DPHW officials to iron-out the problem.

Moreover, a resident  in the Poblacion, who asked anonymity, wanted to know the plan of the DPWH with the pipe line of the water district here after the old bridge is demolished. He said that the pipes are attached to the Villamil Bridge.