Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro
April 3, 2018

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte led the inauguration of the Lisap Bridge Project situated at Barangay Hagan in Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro.

In his keynote speech, the President addressed a large number of the New People’s Army (NPA) who, according to the welcome message of Oriental Mindoro 2nd District Representative Reynaldo Umali, were mostly residing in remote parts of the province, including that of the area where the newly-inaugurated bridge is built.

“Let us agree on some fundamentals,” President Duterte remarked, as he expressed that having a ceasefire between government and the leftist group would make way for more infrastructure projects like the Lisap Bridge all over the country.

“Gusto ko makuha ‘yung kapayapaan sa panahon ko, wala akong galit sa inyo… If you do not have the money, government will subsidize,” he said.

Upon his arrival, the President conducted the unveiling of the project marker. Thereafter, he proceeded to the inaugural drive-through of the bridge.

The Lisap Bridge is formerly a one-lane bridge that has been reconstructed and widened, thereby accommodating more motorists through its new two-lane passageway. It is a project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and is said to be the longest bridge in the entire province of Oriental Mindoro.

According to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, the structure also forms part of government’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program – an initiative that aims to modernize the country’s infrastructure to yield a more inclusive and robust economic growth.

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