No more river trek for Bonbon students

Mayor Michael Rama, Cebu City Hall officials and residents of Barangay Bonbon gather for the blessing of the new bridge. (CDN PHOTO/ JOSE SANTINO S. BUNACHITA)

Residents in the mountain barangay of Bonbon in Cebu City won’t have to anymore wade through a river on their way to the barangay proper.

A P14-million bridge funded by the city government now spans the river, and has made crossing it a safer undertaking.

“Lipay gyud kaayo mi. Sa una guol kaayo mi labi na ug mag-uwan kay kapila na mi hapit maanod inig labang sa sapa (We are very happy. Before, we get so worried especially when it rains because there had been instances when we were almost swept away while trying to cross the river),” said 28-year-old Maria Inot of Sitio Guila-Guila.

Five years ago, when her son Spencer was still in Grade 1, they would have to shell out P10 to be  ferried across the river on a bamboo raft so her son could  attend classes in Bonbon Elementary School.

Now that her son is  in Grade 5, Inot said she doesn’t worry as much when her son goes to school. Inot recalled that when she was still a student, they also had to wade through the knee-deep river to reach school.

Aside from  the bridge, the barangay had its sports    complex renovated with the improvements coming to P399,994.

Yesterday morning, City Hall officials turned over the structures to the barangay in a ceremony.

Bonbon Barangay Captain Alex Ibarita thanked Mayor Michael Rama for heeding their request to build a bridge.

“Damgo gyud ni nato nga gituman sa mayor. Dugay na ni gipangayo nato. Kung wala ang mayor, wala gyud ni mahimo (It had been our dream that was made into a reality by our mayor. We had been asking for this. If not for the mayor, this would not have happened),” said Ibarita.

Construction of the bridge, which cost at least P14 million, started in 2011 and was completed last year.

The inauguration and blessing of the two facilities were held yesterday in time for the 60th birthday of Ibarita.

In his  speech, Rama assured  the people that he will develop mountain barangays and make City Hall and its services more accessible.

“While we are in government, there will be more projects in the mountain barangays. Ang atong program: hain ang layo, ang city hall magpaduol; hain ang duol, ang city hall dili magpalayo (Our program is: where it’s far, city hall will be near; where it’s near, city hall won’t go far),” Rama told the  crowd during  yesterday’s ceremony.