ARTECHE, Eastern Samar– The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has finally completed the construction of the new permanent Bigo Bridge viaduct that will address the road closures during flooding in the portion of the Arteche-Jipapad-Las Navas road in Barangay Bigo, Arteche.

Elena Mengullo, 68, a resident of Barangay Bigo said that flooding has always been a problem in the area for decades.

“Tikang pagmata ko asya na it dida, nauran ngani hin makusog nagbabaha it dida, diri nama nakakaagi it sarakyan pakadto or tikang Jipapad kun hataas an tubig,” Mengullo said.
(Flooding during heavy rains has already been a problem there ever since I was born. Vehicles can not pass when floodwater is too high.)

“Danay an iba naghihimo nala hin paagi, iginsasakay ha baluto an ira motor o ginsasakay ha mga saging ngani nga ginhihigot,” Mengullo added.

(Some people make alternatives just to cross the flood such as transporting their motorcycles on small boats or a makeshift floater made of tied banana trunks.)

On behalf of the people of Jipapad, Councilor Julian Engo conveyed his gratitude to the government, saying that all Jipapadnons accept the project with happiness.

“Ura-ura in hin kadako nga bulig ha amon ha Jipapad, diri la ha Jipapad kundi ug mga sapit nga bungto ngan iba nga bungto han Northern Samar kan danay dinhi hira mamamalit hin ira kinahanglanon ha aton probinsya,” Engo said.

(This is a huge help to us all in Jipapad, and not only in Jipapad but also to our nearby municipalities even to some town in Northern Samar because they sometimes buy their needs here in our province.)

“Ini nga tulay nagsi-signify in hin pagsalbar liwat hin mga kinabuhi, labi ha amon didi ha Jipapad nga kami in prone hiton baha. Kay ha kamatuoran kun bahaon an Jipapad nahiuuna in humilarom an tubig ini dinhi nga lugar. So, paano kami mare-rescue han am mga relief goods, kun dinhi la mismo tutubtob an tambulig han gobyerno,” Engo said.

(This bridge has been a real lifesaver for us living in Jipapad, especially as our area is prone to flooding. In fact, this portion in Bigo was the first to be submerged during previous floods, making it difficult for relief goods and government services to reach us.)

Meanwhile, Engr. Margarita Junia, assistant regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways, expressed her happiness that finally the viaduct is now finished.

She also mentioned that the road closures in Eastern Samar due to flooding were among the challenges she faced when she first assumed office and the Bigo bridge project was one of her priority projects.

She recalled that sometime in 2021, a three-day incessant heavy downpour resulted in flooding and road closures all over Eastern Samar and upon her visits to the flooded areas, the Arteche-Jipapad road section in Bigo was the deepest with almost 6 meters in floodwaters.

“This is not the only project for Jipapad. We already submitted a proposal converting the Jipapad-Imelda-Lapinig road to a national road and approved LGU Jipapad’s request of dredging the river to temporarily prevent flooding in Jipapad,” Junia added.

The assistant regional director further shared that planning for a long-term solution on the flooding in Jipapad is now underway.

Meanwhile, Eastern Samar Representative Maria Fe Abunda urged the residents to take good care of the infrastructure.

“Diri ngatanan natatagan hin sugad hini nga proyekto, higugma-a in niyo, kay hi kamo it masyado nabebenipisyuhan hini ngan diri hi Congresswoman Abunda mag-aamkon hin mga proyekto, kay diri ini hit ak pamilya, ini ngatanan kwarta in hit gobyerno, kwarta in hit tawo,” Abunda added.

(Not all receives this kind of project, take good care of it, because you will greatly benefit from this. Also, this project is not mine, nor my family’s, the money came from the government, the money came from the taxpayers.)

District Engineer Domcelio Natividad mentioned that the Bigo Bridge is one of the high-impact projects in Eastern Samar particularly on the economic and social development of Arteche, Jipapad, and nearby municipalities in Eastern Samar. This is aside from the hardships that motorists face during rainy seasons.

“Maiibanan it aton problema, especially kun rainy season comes kay ini nga section, iton tubig, diri basta-basta na-subside. It takes days, depende kun ano it karaot hit panahon. Submerged talaga ini hiya hit flooding, it aton mga motorista nagbibiling hadto hin burubaloto para makatabok,” Domcelio said.

(This will lessen the problem especially when the rainy season comes because the voluminous waters caused flooding, which did not subside easily. It takes several days, depending on the severity of the weather. This area was heavily flooded, forcing motorists to transport their motorcycles via motorboat.)

The district engineer also shared that the new Bigo Bridge is 80-meter in length with an allocation of P100 million and was funded under the General Appropriation Act (GAA) 2022. The project was implemented to address road closures caused by heavy rainfall and flooding in the area.
(VTG, PIA Eastern Samar)

ORMOC CITY– A job order worker of the local government unit of San Antonio, Northern Samar was arrested during a buy-bust operation led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA0 and the local police station drug enforcement team in Barangay Ward II of said municipality last Saturday (May 18) at about 12:20 pm.

Recovered from the possession of the suspect, identified as ‘Raul’, was one sachet containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu procured by an operative in the amount of P1,000.

During the conduct of a body search done in the presence of an elected official and a representative from the local media, the searching agent also recovered three more sachets containing white crystalline substances also suspected to be shabu with an estimated weight of 0.32 grams with an estimated street value of P2,176.

Charges of violations of sections 5 (selling illegal drugs) & 11 (possession of illegal drugs) of Article II of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Law against Illegal Drugs of 2002, were filed against the suspect who is now detained at the locked-up cell of San Antonio municipal police station.(ROBERT DEJON)

ORMOC CITY – Two farmers lost their lives after being buried by collapsing soil while excavating a deep well in Barangay Hinatad, an upland village in Catarman, Northern Samar on Wednesday(May 15).

The local police identified the victims only by their aliases, ‘Randy’, 46, and ‘Domeng’, 47.
According to a report from the local police, Fatima, who alerted the authorities, the two men were digging the well around 1:30 pm when the soil gave way and collapsed on them.
Despite immediate rescue efforts by local residents, the large volume of soil buried the men several feet deep, leading to their instantaneous deaths.

Their bodies were subsequently recovered and transported to a local funeral parlor for post-mortem examinations.
(ROBERT DEJON)

ORMOC CITY– Four riders of a carnival ride were injured when the seat of the ride they were riding malfunctioned causing this to tilt and injured the riders who fell from their seats at about 9:40 pm on May 17 in Barangay Maligaya, Jiabong, Samar.

The victims were identified as aliases “Joanne”, 19, student, single, a resident of Purok 6, Canlapwas, Catbalogan City; “Ann”, 19, student, single, Brgy. San Isidro, Paranas, Samar; “Krisha”, 20, student, single a resident of Purok 3, Catbalogan City; and “Maris”, 19, student, a resident of Brgy. Alejandrea, Jiabong, Samar.

An initial investigation conducted by the local police disclosed that victims Ann, Krisha, and Maris were riding in one coaster of the caterpillar ride when suddenly the lug bolt knot of the seats malfunctioned and detached.

The police said that the seat tilted and the victims fell to the ground. The police added that Joanne was hit by the steel railings and sustained a laceration on her head.

The victims were rushed to the Jiabong Rural Health Unit and were referred to Samar Provincial Hospital for medical treatment.

Further, the management of the carnival was advised by the local police to stop the operation while the incident is under investigation.
(ROBERT DEJON)