By Eva  Visperas

 

CHRISTMAS came early in Bolinao this year as the town celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for a long-anticipated bridge connecting the mainland to Santiago Island. Though it was only September, the event marked a significant milestone in the town’s decades-long dream.

Eager to cover the historic occasion, I cleared my schedule and joined my travel companions, Lina Cervantes of DWPR and Badz Agtalao of Energy FM, for the 8:00 a.m. ceremony. Travel time was about two hours. We arrived at past 7:00 a.m. to ensure a good parking spot and enjoy a hearty breakfast in a carinderia before the event.

The ceremony drew a crowd of residents, barangay officials, and notable guests including Senator Imee Marcos, Governor Monmon Guico, Congressman Art Celeste, his brother Mayor Alfonso Celeste, and other local leaders. The groundbreaking represented a long-awaited step forward for a project that had seen many ups and downs over the years.

I vividly recall the efforts of the Celeste brothers — former Congressman Boying Celeste, Congressman Art Celeste, and their brother, former Congressman Noli Celeste — in championing this bridge project for funding.

Over the years, the bridge became a significant election issue, with various candidates promising solutions. One particularly memorable instance involved a defeated candidate who transported dismantled steel bars from Metro Manila to Bolinao, claiming they would be used for the bridge to Santiago Island. He even paraded these bars around town in a desperate bid to win support. As one resident humorously noted, the ploy didn’t fool anyone, and he lost the election.

However, Senator Imee Marcos proved that nothing is impossible. Her determination, and that of Cong Art and DPWH, led to the groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday, marking a major turning point for the project.

Despite an initial budget of only P130 million out of the total P1.95 billion cost, Senator Marcos remains hopeful. She believes that, with continued effort and planning, the project will move forward. As she puts it, “As long as you put it in your dream, it will happen. We have a plan to see it through by next year.”

So, kalma lang. Matatapos din yan!

The bridge project is set to begin immediately following the groundbreaking, said RD Tan. It will span 620 meters with a two-kilometer approach road, and is expected to be completed within three years, coinciding with the end of President Bongbong Marcos’s term. The bridge will serve the seven barangays of Santiago Island, home to over 20,000 residents, starting with Barangay Luciente 1, which has a population of 6,000.

Governor Guico announced additional plans to complement this development, including a new airport which is now underway to boost tourism and showcase the region’s natural beauty, not only in the Philippines but to the world. Bolinao, often referred to as the Boracay of the North, boasts of fine white sand beaches, lush greenery, Balingasay River which is the cleanest in Region 1, and historic landmarks such as the must-see 17th-century St. James the Great Parish Church and the Cape Bolinao lighthouse.

Cong. Art told the senator during the program that historically, the old “municipio” of Bolinao was situated in Santiago Island.

Oh, by the way, I was surprised to see a new and modern municipio in the town, several meters away from the old one. Ang ganda-ganda. Façade pa lang mapapahanga ka na!

I went inside for a quick tour.

It just shows that it took me maybe two or three years to return to Bolinao. Ganun na pala ako katagal na di nakapasyal sa bayan na ‘yan!

Napa-wow, Bolinao ako!

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