Cong. Edgar Chatto has asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to physically inspect Makapiko Bridge and look for ways to solve the issue affecting the said bridge.
This comes after Chatto personally received an information from Catigbian Mayor Elizabeth Mandin Pace who reported landslides in the area.
Chatto directly coordinated with DPWH Regional Director Edgar Tabacon who has direct supervision over the Makapiko Bridge.
Chatto also sent an official communication to the regional office of the DPWH requesting for a physical inspection and immediate appropriate action to ensure the safety of commuting public.
The first district solon immediately alerted DPWH Bohol 1st District Engineer
Godofredo Laga Jr. about the matter through a telephone call, according to reports.
Moreover, Laga along with staff members of the office of the 1st Congressional District
surveyed the area to assess the damage as reported by Mandin Pace on Monday,
June 6, 2022.
Laga bared that there are some damage parts at the Catigbian portion of the area that need
to be addressed.
The Makapiko Bridge is a national infrastructure by virtue of Republic Act 10040, which Chatto authored during his first stint in Congress.
Meanwhile, it can be recalled that during the latter part of April 2022, Chatto wrote to the DPWH to coordinate closely with local and national law enforcement agencies in the strict implementation of load capacity limits of the Abatan River Bridge and other bridges built by the national government in the 1st District.
Chatto said DPWH should provide the technical guidance to proper agencies in charge of load capacity limit enforcement.
In addition, proper load limit markers must be prominently installed in all national bridges, the solon added.
The move by Chatto was an offshoot of the incident at the old Clarin Bridge in Loay that collapsed and caused the death of 4 people including a foreigner.
DAMAGE
Mandin Pace informed The Bohol Tribune on June 6, 2022 that the lower portion of the bridge was damaged following heavy rains on Sunday, June 5, 2022.
The local government unit headed by Mandin Pace immediately surveyed the area to
assess the damage.
The area has shown signs of damage following typhoon Odette and the recent heavy rains
only made the situation worse, according to reports.