Tubigon residents wants Ubojan span

A Bohol river that killed three school children---a boy and his two younger sisters---three years ago has threatened to claim more lives because of glaring government neglect. The river in barangay Ubojan had then a wooden bridge connecting to barangays Talenceras, Cawayanan and Tan-awan, all in Tubigon town, until it collapsed to the wear and tear of time. The councils of the four barangays approved a joint resolution asking for aids from the municipal government and Rep. Edgar Chatto to build even just a foot bridge. Nothing has been built until now and despite the tragedy befalling the three grade schoolers, according to complaining residents who decided to raise their concern to the media.

Siblings Tommy, Eva and Elizabeth Harina, Grades VI, IV and I pupils, respectively, were crossing down the river on their way to school one fateful morning three years ago when a flashflood swept them to death. The kids were unwitting of the roaring water to their direction caused by mountain rains while they were crossing the river, which no longer had the wooden bridge at that time. The Harina children lived in Talenceras but studied at the elementary school in Ubojan because there is only a primary school in their barangay. A teacher learned that the joint barangay resolution sent to the municipal government was, in turn, simply endorsed to Chatto's office.

The First District congressman said in a chance interview during the town-hood anniversary in Baclayon on Friday that he has not been aware of the joint barangay resolution. In the presence of the media people, Chatto contacted his staff to check their office files, apart from directing the Department of Public Works and Highways – First Engineering District (DPWH-I) people to estimate the cost of the river structure. If possible, the site should be immediately evaluated for the programming of necessary works, Chatto said. A program of work of the requested foot bridge, which should be built on concrete bases, was reportedly long submitted together with the joint barangay resolution.

The barangay of Ubojan alone cannot fund the structure while the three other barangays which children go to Ubojan school passing the river may be questioned for allocating respective funds for a project not within their areas. The tragedy costing the lives of the three children should have prompted the municipal government to aid the construction of the foot bridge, which is cheaper than rebuilding the collapsed bailey bridge. The school children have to cross some 40 meters to reach the other side of the river. When the river floods, school children have to wait for the water to subside until they can safely cross the river and attend their remaining classes of the day, if not returning home without having gone to school.

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