The Bayanihan Bridge: Local Resident Builds Floating Bridge, Reconnecting 11,000 Isolated Residents in Moises Padilla

MOISES PADILLA – Following the destruction of key infrastructure by Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) on November 4, which isolated several outside barangays from the main town, one local resident took immediate action by building a floating bridge to reconnect Barangay Guinpana-an and Barangay Quintin Remo.
Bridging the Isolation

Igmi Nicor, a resident of Barangay Guinpana-an, undertook the project after the storm severed the hanging footbridge, cutting off two communities with a combined population of over 11,000 residents (Barangay Quintin Remo has 7,601 residents, while Barangay Guinpana-an has 3,451).

“I decided to build the floating bridge to help the communities connect once again,” Nicor stated.

Funding and Access

To fund the construction, Nicor loaned PhP 50,000 and hired workers to complete the makeshift crossing. To help him pay back the loan and cover maintenance costs, a modest fee is currently being collected from users:
Pedestrians: PhP 5 per person
Motorcycles: PhP 10 per motorcycle

Usage Restrictions

The temporary floating bridge is designed to accommodate only the lightest traffic and has strict limitations:

The bridge can only accommodate pedestrians and motorcycles. All other vehicles are prohibited.

Nicor’s initiative provides a critical temporary lifeline for thousands of residents until the government can begin the necessary large-scale repairs on the permanent infrastructure.* (Condrado D. Garcia, EA II, Office of the Mayor Municipality of Moises Padilla)