Imagine crossing the river and traversing more than 10 kilometers away to get to the town proper to go to the hospital, to buy your daily necessities, or to go to school. Imagine how medical, rescue, and relief operations are scarce due to the inaccessibility of the place. Is it possible for a community to live with this situation?
Unfortunately, it is for residents at Brgy. Mahilom in Hindang, Leyte.
Dire Challenges Faced in Brgy. Mahilom
Since Brgy. Mahilom is a far-flung barangay, mobility and accessibility have been one of their most significant problems. One would travel 17.6 km away from the town proper to get to the barangay. Furthermore, the only way to reach it is to get to the access road of Inopacan, Leyte, the neighboring municipality of the barangay, where it can only be accessible by habal-habal (motorcycle). Since getting through the access road is tough for most habal-habal drivers because it’s unpaved, they would usually charge Php 150 pesos one way per person.
This situation that the residents of Brgy. Mahilom faced has hindered them from getting the basic services they need. For pregnant women, they are having difficulty in going to the hospital for labor and maternity needs. For men, they are having difficulty transporting their agricultural products for a living. And for the children, they are forced to walk for miles to get to their respective schools.
When calamities occur, more problems are getting in the way of the residents at Brgy. Mahilom, especially during heavy rains. The water level of the Hindang river rises to 6 feet, making it difficult for people to cross the river. As a result, emergency and health rescues and food distribution are delayed due to the inaccessibility of cars and trucks to get to the barangay. With the limited resources and lack of medical assistance, casualties are inevitable.
Safety has also been one of the main concerns of the residents, as local officials said that there have been sightings of NPAs due to the location of the barangay.
Given the situation of the residents of Brgy. Mahilom, living is not easy.
Government Assistance and the Footbridge Project
Because of that, the local government seeks help from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for assistance in providing a safe and accessible means for residents of Brgy. Mahilom. With their relentless efforts and the government’s commitment to serving the needs of remote barangays in the country, the Construction of Footbridge was implemented through the 2015 Bottom-Up Budgeting.
In just six months, the residents of Brgy. Mahilom are now reaping the benefits brought by the footbridge.
The steel and concrete-made footbridge changed the lives of many residents in Brgy. Mahilom. They can now get through the access point of Inopacan, Leyte safely. Thus, making it easier for them to get to the town proper to acquire the basic services needed. Besides that, residents also suffer less from waterborne diseases and allergies such as typhoid fever, malaria, and more.
According to Brgy. Captain Cresencia Udtohan, the footbridge did not only provide a safe passageway, but it also opened opportunities to improve service delivery and boost businesses and commerce in the barangay as well.
The Footbridge project proves that as long as there’s a continuous effort and full coordination between the national government, specifically the DILG, and the LGUs to push through projects that are beneficial for the community, remote areas located farthest away from the poblacion like Brgy. Mahilom will be well-responded to their needs.