Joy Adalia
Filipinos are known for being ingenious but, sadly, we could sometimes be opportunists, to the expense of our kababayans.
For instance, during the long holiday break when most of the people were back in their own homes to celebrate the season, Typhoon Seniang broke a bridge in the town of Sibonga in the province of Cebu. This bridge is along the main route to Cebu City, the central hub of the province and Region 7.
After the holiday break, workers and families who had to go back to Cebu City and neighboring areas from the south had a huge problem as to how they are going to get back to the city.
With the bridge broken and no alternative route except going roundabout the longer way via Barili [this route also had lots of damages, including landslides and bridges deemed unsafe for heavy vehicles], travelers had to cope with the options available by the broken bridge in Sibonga.
In a Facebook post of local news anchor Leo Lastimosa, some locals erected a bamboo footbridge for the travelers to pass through. Awesome news, right? No!
These locals did not put up the bamboo bridge to help the people – they actually made that bridge to earn money from the misfortunes of others. Because the people needed to get to the other side, they had no choice but pay the P5 being asked by these extortionists so they can use the footbridge, Lastimosa reports.
Once they get to the other side, there were buses waiting for them there; though the options are scarce because most of the buses were trapped at the terminals down south and had no way of getting on the other side.
This is sad, indeed. Opportunists are making money out of these people who had to pass through their bridge. Although P5 might be a very small sum to pay – something these people are surely willing to give as long as they can get to the other side – you can just imagine how much these opportunists are earning from this very lucrative business.
On a regular day, there are hundreds of travelers who pass through the route – but remember that those passing through the bridge this week had come from the holiday breaks. So, there could be thousands of people needing to get back to Cebu City!
After Lastimosa’s post went viral and the incident reported on the local news, the local government decided to create a footbridge which was safer and much larger than the one put up by the opportunists. Made of coco lumber and sturdy materials, this footbridge is available for use at no cost to the travelers.
What irked Lastimosa is that it took the local officials 1 week to take action.
Still, travelers could now feel safer that they can walk over a sturdier bridge where they won’t be charged a cent.
So, do you think the locals who made the bridge were heartless opportunists or were they just clever business-minded guys who had the chance to earn out of their brilliant idea?
