SAMAL, Bataan – Villagers on Wednesday sought the widening of the narrow and dangerous passageway constructed over the concrete dike at the Calaguiman River here.
Boy Cortez, 61, said there are about one thousand individuals in 116 houses who make use of the passageway on the dike in Sitio San Raphael, Barangay East Calaguiman.
“Mahirap ang kalagayan namin dito. Kapag meron emergency inaabot ng kamatayan at hindi na umaabot ng ospital,” he said.
Cortez asked that the passageway be widened. “Lagyan din ng barandilya ang tabi ng ilog para may mahawakan ang mga bata. Maawa na kayo, tulungan ninyo kami. Matatanda na kami. Kapag may namamatay idinadaan sa ilog,” he appealed.
Willy Pascua, 58, amputated on both hands, made the same appeal. “Sana laparan ng kaunti para pumasok ang tricycle kahit one-way. Kapag may patay isinasakay sa bangka. Lagyan din ng barandilya para may hawakan,” he said.
He said there were already some accidents in the area. “May nahulog ng motorsiklo. Mg bata nagtatakbuhan nahulog kasi walang harang.”
“Kapag may nagkasakit ang hirap. Hindi namin malaman ang gagawin kung paano mailalabas. Dilikado sa mga bata dahil masikip at walang hawakan. Paglakad nila malamang malaglag,” Adoracion Acuna, 69, said.
Acting Samal municipal engineer Manuel Pascual said the dike which is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works and Highways was intended for flood control. “Kung lalaparan, liliit ang volume ng pwedeng capacity ng ilog,” he said.
He said that there was an alternative road being constructed in the area. “Budgetted na pero may problema sa landowner ng lupang dadaanan,” Pascual said.
Cortez said about 190 meters of the farm-to-market road at the side of the dike was already concreted but 200 more meters have to be constructed to be connected to the national road.
He said they do not know when the road will be completed because of the reluctance of the landowner to permit the construction.
