Tulay – Bridges in the Philippines
The tulay, also known as taytay or puente, is a horizontal structure that connects two points separated by a depression, a body of water, or a detailedfare.
Indigenous Philippine bridges are made of flexible but strong materials such as bamboo, coconut trunks, and wooden planks. The Mandaya of Davao Oriental use bamboo bridges with no handrails to connect their houses built above bamboo marshes. The bridge built over a river on the Carigara-Barugo Road in Leyte at the turn of the nineteenth century was made of dressed wood beams and planks with a geometrically designed wooden handrail and a nipa roof. The Sama Dilaut of the Sulu Archipelago use sturdy tree branches to build bridges that connect their shoreline houses. Handrails are rarely found on these bridges. The bamboo or coconut bridge can still be found in areas where the government has not yet built adequate infrastructure. The bridge’s piers are made of tall bamboo poles or coconut trunks lashed together. The number of piers required is determined by the length of the span. The piers support the girders, which carry the bamboo poles that make up the passage. The bridge may have a handrail, which is usually on one side.
Spanish Colonial Era
The Spaniards introduced stone bridges to the Philippines. While the Spanish colonial era is associated with the iconic church, convento, and fortifications, it was also a time when great effort was expended to open land routes to gain access to the country’s highlands and remote areas, complementing the time-tested sea and riverine routes. A large number of friars were responsible for constructing these land routes, which included bridges that crossed waterways and chasms.
Prewar native bridge of wood and bamboo (Photo from Leo Cloma Collection)
Father Andres Patio, who connected Malabon and Tinajeros, and Father Francisco Valencia, who connected Malabon and Navotas, were Augustinian bridge builders. Ramon Sanchez, Benito Varas, Ramon del Marco, Celestino Mayordomo, and Raymundo Cortazar were all missionaries in Batangas, particularly in Lipa, Tanauan, and Taal. In Bulacan, Fathers Buzeta, Melchor Fernandez, and Antonio Piernavieja built bridges. Father Juan Tombo built a bridge connecting San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan, and Gapan, Nueva Ecija. Fathers Rufino Redondo, Evaristo Guadalupe, and Antonio Jorda worked in Ilocos along Luzon’s western coast. Narvacan and Abra were linked by Father Jose Coruguedo.
Franciscans were busy building roads and bridges in Laguna as early as 1579, a year after they arrived in Manila. Father Francisco de Gata was a pioneer. Lorenzo de Santa Maria, a Franciscan brother, assisted the priests by constructing roads connecting the Franciscan missions. In Baras, Rizal, Father De la Parilla built a bridge and laid out the town’s six main streets. Father Jose Fernandez established a link between Dulag and Tanauan in Leyte.
Jesuits were known for building churches, residences, and colleges, but their work in infrastructure has received little attention. Father Antonio Sedeo and Father Diego Garcia are two names that come up as builders.
Dominicans had a reputation for building long-lasting roads and bridges. Fathers Manuel del Rio and Juan Villaverde are two well-known friars who paved the way to the Cagayan Valley from Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija. Father del Rio built the mountain trail from Malionliong, Pangasinan, through the Central Cordillera, to Ituy Valley, Nueva Vizcaya, and on to Gamu, Isabela. This road, which was completed in 1739, passed through hostile territory and was later abandoned. In the nineteenth century, Father Villaverde built the Villaverde Pass in northern Luzon, which is now named after him. He also connected Nueva Vizcaya to Kiangan via Bagabag; Ibung to Solano, Nueva Vizcaya; and Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya to San Nicolas, Pangasinan via Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya. Fathers Manuel Corripio and Francisco Carrozal worked on the roads of Dupax, while Antonio Lobato built roads and bridges in Tuguegarao. Fathers Eugenio Minguez and Gabriel Perez built the Sual-Zambales road in Pangasinan; Quiros y Domingo Taboada built the Mangaldan-Santa Barbara road; and Gaspar de Castro built a link road between San Jacinto de Cauili and Manaoag. The road connecting Manaog and Binalonan was built by Father Ramon Agustin. Father Nicolas Castao built two bridges at Ivana in Batanes.
Fathers Simon de San Agustin built the bridge connecting Quiapo and San Sebastian; Marcial Bellido built the road connecting Masinloc and Palawig in Zambales; Celestino Yoldi built the road to San Juan de Bolboc, Batangas; and Lucas de Jesus Maria built the Calle Rosario near the Puente de Espaa. Puente Isabel II was built by Father Matias Carbonell near the Recollect hacienda in Imus. In 1857, acting Governor-General Ramon Montero recognized Father Carbonell for his deed (Noche 2011, 17-20).
The Inspeccion General de Caminos y Canales was established in 1799 during the reign of Carlos IV of Spain, bringing civil engineering to the Philippines. By 1834, Spain had established the Escuela de Ingenieria Civil, which provided training and education for engineers prior to posting in Spain or the colonies. Cuerpo de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales, y Puertos was the corps in charge of construction. The Inspeccion General de Obras Publicas was established in the Philippines in 1866 and was later absorbed by the Dirrecion General de Administracion Civil. Obras Publicas engineers included Manuel Ramirez Bazan, Castro Olano, Genaro Palacios, Eduardo Lopez Navarro, and Damian Quero. Military engineers such as Francisco de Castro Ponte, Carlos de las Heras, Rafael Quevedo, and Agustin Lopez Maroto supplemented the work of civil engineers (Noche 2011, 21-22).
Bridges built during the Spanish era were built in a traditional manner with stone arches. This construction method can be traced back to the ancient Romans, but it saw a revival during the Renaissance as more infrastructure was built in Europe and then in European colonies in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. To build arched bridges, the piers had to be built first, which required the construction of a temporary coffer dam where the pier was to be placed. Then a stone and mortar structure with extensive foundations was constructed. Bridges were built with the same stonework and mortaring that was used to build churches, homes, the casa real (royal house), walls, and other colonial structures. Following the installation of the piers, a wooden form in the shape of a semicircular arch was laid, connecting one pier to the next. The cut stones that made up the arch were laid over the form and mortared together. The bridge was then waterproofed with palitada, a sand and mortar layer.
Noche’s (2011) documentation of Spanish-era bridges demonstrates the breadth of bridge construction during the Spanish colonial era. Some bridges are still in use, but others are only known through documentation and photographs. Some have survived, at least partially, often hidden from view due to the addition of a new roadbed. What follows is a brief overview of the bridges Noche documented and arranged geographically, with Manila serving as the hub.
Manila…
The walled city of Intramuros was surrounded by a moat, and Fort Santiago was cut off from the city by a moat. Intramuros bridges led to the principal gates of Intramuros, some passing through ravellins before arriving at the gate. While the Intramuros bridges were made of stone, the portion closest to the wall was a wooden drawbridge that was lifted to seal the city. A nightly curfew was imposed so that inhabitants had to be inside the walled city before the drawbridges were raised at 11 at night.
Spanish-period bridge along Escolta, Manila (Photo colorized by Eduardo S. Sison)
In 1772, Puente del Fuerza de Santiago was built slightly west of Fort Santiago’s main gate. Puente de Puerta del Parian, 1782, connected to the Revellin del Parian, which in turn had Puente del Revellín del Parian, 1814. Designed by Mariano de Ocampo, Puente del Fuerza connected with the Escolta, a road that linked the north and south banks of the Pasig through a bridge. Puente de la Puerta Real de Bagumbayan was built to connect the new Puerta Real built after the British occupation, 1762-1764. It connected with Puente Durmiente, 1784, that arches into the Revellin de Bagumbayan (Noche 2011, 52-60). Beyond the walls of Intramuros, Manila was divided into north and south and bisected by the Pasig River. An early stone bridge vital to the life of Intramuros and the neighboring districts was the Puente Grande de España built in 1630. It spanned the south and north banks of the Pasig River (Noche 2011, 32). Located east of the site presently occupied by Jones Bridge, the bridge consisted of elliptical arches of stone resting on massive stone piers. In the course of its history, the bridge was renovated a number of times in the 19th century: in 1814 under Domingo Ildefonso de Aragon, the leading civil engineer of the era; in 1824 when two of the original ten arches were removed; and in 1859 when stone railings were replaced by wood and marble resting places for the convenience of pedestrians. Four years later, the bridge collapsed and was replaced by a pontoon bridge designed by Pedro Lopez Esguerra. The original bridge was never rebuilt but instead was replaced by the Puente de España.
The Puente de España, erected in 1875, had six spans of masonry and two of iron. Puente de España was almost perfectly aligned with Puente Grande and its south approach was almost side by side with the bridge it was replacing. However, the north approach diverged. Puente Grande landed on Plaza de San Gabriel (now Plaza Moraga) while Puente de España landed on Nueva, now Yuchengco (Noche 2011, 35-36).
Spanning the Pasig was Puente Colgante which connected the old Parian (also Arocerros) with Quiapo. It was also known as Puente de Claveria, in honor of Governor-General Narciso de Claveria. It was the second bridge to be built across the Pasig. This toll bridge was a technological innovation because it was a suspension bridge that used steel and steel cable. Erected in 1852, it was the project of a private company, Matias, Mechacatorre y Cia. Construction was entrusted to a French engineer named M. Gaband, and the steel parts were imported from England.
As a suspension bridge, Colgante consisted of two tall concrete towers built on either side of the Pasig. A pair of stout cables hung from the piers and were anchored to the north and south banks. Smaller cables were hung from these stout cables and supported the roadway which was a trussed bridge. Steel railings flanked the bridge, and iron street lamps provided illumination. Built for human and calesa or horse carriage traffic, the bridge survived the earthquake of 1863 and was for more than a decade the only link between north and south Manila. The bridge lasted to the 1920s when it was replaced by the art deco Quiapo Bridge, later renamed Quezon Bridge (Noche 2011, 39). Suspension bridges were built in other parts of the Philippines where piers could not be sunk into the riverbed, such as during the campaign to conquer Mindanao in the 19th century.
Puente de Santa Cruz connected Santa Cruz with the southern bank. Begun during the Spanish era, it was completed during the American era. Carlos de Heras designed the bridge with a reinforcing truss at the center. This allowed for a more stable and wider bridge. The bridge was damaged during World War II and was replaced by a flat deck bridge known as McArthur (Noche 2011, 43).
Puente de la Convalesencia, built in 1880, had two parts. The first part landed at Isla de Convalesencia, now home to Hospicio de San Jose; the second part started from Isla to San Miguel district. Initially, the bridge was made of wood, but it was replaced by a steel bridge now popularly known as Ayala Bridge because it was the project of the Ayala y Compañia. The bridge had the central steel sections manufactured by the company of Gustave Eiffel in France. Eiffel is famous for the tower named after him. Eduardo Lopez Navarro designed the bridge which connected Paco and San Miguel. It collapsed in 1890, and the government decided to build Santa Cruz bridge to replace it (Noche 2011, 40).
Puente de Blanco, also Puente de Binondo, and Puente de Meisic are both in Chinatown along Ongpin Street. The first is closer to the Binondo Church, but both have all but disappeared under later additions. Puente de Binondo traces to a structure built in 1796 although it is uncertain how much of this bridge survives. It spans the Estero de Binondo. Puente de Meisic spans estero de Magdalena (Noche 2011, 48-51).
The Acueducto de Carriedo, built in 1883, carried neither human nor vehicular traffic but supported the large iron pipes that brought water from Marikina River and the springs of San Juan to a covered reservoir called El Deposito. This reservoir, which was near the present-day San Juan City Hall, then brought the water to Manila. The whole acueducto (aqueduct) was named after Francisco de Carriedo, mayor of Manila, who in the 18th century left an endowment of 10,000 pesos for a water works for the city. It took more than a century for the project to get underway. Today, small sections of the aqueduct exist; some are overgrown, while others are occupied by informal settlers (Noche 2011, 47).
Puentes de Ferrocarril is a generic name of bridges built as part of the Plano General de los Ferrocarriles del Norte de Filipinas (Master Plan for the Railroad of Northern Philippines) prepared in the 1870s by military engineers Juan D. Barry, Manuel Saenz de Peralta, and Luciano Maria Bremon. The plan called for a network that would link Manila with Laoag, the first phase of which was a link to Dagupan. In 1875, a royal decree defined the rules governing the concession, construction, and operation of the railway. Eduardo Lopez Navarro as director of the Obras Publicas was appointed to implement the project. The plan called for laying down 1,730 kilometers of track through provinces known for its rich agricultural output and growing population. A spur from Quingua, Bulacan would bring the railroad to Cabanatuan which would then connect with Cagayan Valley in the future. A plan to run south to Bicol was also planned. Except for the Manila-Dagupan line, the rest of the plan remained unimplemented because of the Philippine Revolution.
A number of bridges of this system survived World War II. One was the Puente de Ferrocarril de Labangan at Calumpit, Bulacan, which was recently demolished. Edward Sykes of London was awarded the concession to build the railway in 1887, but the following year it was transferred to Jorge Higgins Wellfith, representing the Manila Railway Co. Ltd., an English registered company. On 8 July 1887, Don Carlos E. de Bertodano arrived in Manila to inaugurate construction. On 31 July, the cornerstone for the Tutuban Station was laid, and work began. Most of the construction materials were imported—railroad ties and bridge timbers came from Australia, and Portland cement, rails, switches, track spikes and bolts, bridges, and cast iron caissons were from England. Bertodano supervised construction initially until taken ill and replaced by Horace Higgins. The bridges followed British lattice design for the spans. Piers were set up by sinking 6 feet by 6 feet drums that were bolted as they sunk. Enclosed material was dug, filled, and weighed down. If the river bed was soft, piles were first driven into it before the piers were erected. At the ends of the bridge were concrete piers reinforced by stone masonry. The bridge at Calumpit represents the type of bridge built for the railroad system (Noche 2011, 61-62).
Spanish-period Tuhel Bridge in Ivana, Batanes, 2007 (Photo by Anne Jimenez)
North of Manila…
Traveling northeast brings you to Cagayan Valley, which was isolated from the capital for most of its history and was only accessible via the Rio Grande de Cagayan, which ran through a wide plain between two mountain ranges, the Central Cordillera to the west and the Sierra Madre to the east. Dominicans traveled from Manila to Aparri, then down the Rio Grande to Ilagan, Isabela, to evangelize the valley. Travel from Ilagan was by horseback and river boat. Cagayan became accessible by land in the nineteenth century thanks to the efforts of the Obras Publicas and the daring road-builder Father Juan Villaverde, OP. In 1890, he established a trail that was later named after him. Antonio Lobato de Santa Maria, OP was another well-known friar builder in Cagayan. Although he was responsible for the construction of Tuguegarao’s church and convent, as well as three hornos or brick kilns, only one of three bridges he built survived—Puente de Penque-Ruyu. Puente Dampol in Dupax was built in 1775 by Father Manuel Corripio, OP. An earthquake destroyed the bridge in 1812; as a result, Father Francisco Rocamora, OP built a replacement in 1818, which still stands today. One of the few surviving bridges built by Father Villaverde is the Puente de San Luis in Solano. The project, named after the town patron San Luis de Beltran and planned as early as 1884, could not be completed immediately because Villaverde was constructing the Camino de Quiangan. Between 1884 and 1891, when he was appointed pastor of the town, Villaverde finally built the San Luis bridge (Noche 2011, 109-116).
In 1680, Dominicans island-hopped from Aparri in Cagayan Valley to the Babuyanes and the Batanes Island group to evangelize Batanes. By 1688, the Dominicans had left Batanes for a variety of reasons, including the difficulty of financially supporting the remote island group. The Dominicans returned in 1719 at the request of Father Juan Bel, vicar of the Babuyanes. With the crown’s support, the Dominican mission flourished from then on, and in 1783, Batanes was recognized as colonial territory and integrated into the Philippines. The Dominicans were in charge of constructing churches, convents, and the islands’ infrastructure. They also introduced stone and mortar construction, which was adapted by vernacular architecture to create the native Ivatan’s typhoon-resistant house. The Puente de Ivana is a triple arched stone masonry structure on the Camino Real that leads to Ivana. It could have been built during the tenure of Fr Nicolas Castao, OP, 1798-1824. Puente de San Vicente, also in Ivana, could be the work of Father Castao or Father Fabian Martin, OP, who oversaw the construction of two bridges in Ivana from 1850 to 1860. During his tenure as parish priest from 1867 to 1887, Father Cresencio Polo, OP built the Puente de Mahatao. The bridge provided direct access to the Mahatao church. The Puentecito de Mahatao bridge, located on the Mahatao-Uyugan road, is notable for its triangular rather than rounded arch. Puente de Yugan in Uyugan, which consists of three arches separated by strong piers, is hidden beneath a slab of concrete decking added in the twentieth century. It was built by Father Fabian Martin during his time as an Ivana missionary. Between 1844 and 1878, the mission of San Antonio de Yugan was renamed Uyugan (Noche 2011, 129-138).
The Spaniards arrived in the Ilocos region as early as 1572. That same year, Juan de Salcedo established Ciudad Fernandina, now known as Vigan. Ilocos was evangelized by the Augustinians. Puente de Barit in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, is made of bricks and is segmented into three arches along the Laoag-Bacarra National Road. Little is known about this bridge, as well as Vigan’s brick Ayusan-Paoa Bridge. Paoay, whose church of San Agustin is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is accessible via two brick bridges: Puente de Paoay on the Paoay-Currimao Road and Puentecito de Cabuyog. Puente de Paoay, the more beautiful and well-built of the two, has a decorative parapet over a wide elliptical arch bridge. Its history is largely unknown. Puente Grande de Balaybaboy and Puente Chico are the names of two bridges in Badoc. Both are constructed of bricks that were originally covered in lime plaster. The two bridges were most likely built at the same time. These bridges are most likely built by Father Antonio Estavillo, OSA, a curate in the 18th century, or Father Santiago Muis, OSA, who built the Badoc convent in brick in the 1860s. Puente de Santa Maria spans the Estero de Santa Maria in Ilocos Sur. Father Juan Cardao, OSA, who served as parish priest beginning in 1804 may have built the brick and bridge (Noche 2011, 117-128).
Abra was a dependency of Ilocos Sur until 1917, when it became an independent province. Vigan was established as an engineering district of the Obras Publicas in 1876. Eduardo Soriano has been appointed as the district engineer. He had three helpers. Along the streets Howard Taft, Santiago, Pearubia, and Francis Burton Harrison, there are four colonial bridges. The bridges, all made of brick and rubble, appear to have been built around the same time. The most interesting of these is the Puente de Calle Governor Howard Taft, whose railings are rendered as undulating waves meeting at the center where the semicircular parapet terminates in a bulbous finial. There is no information about its construction, but it may have been built by Soriano (Noche 2011, 129-132).
Bridges were built in the towns of Bongabon and Carranglan in Nueva Ecija. The Puente de Piedra in Poblacion, Bongabon, and the Puente de Puncan in Puncan, Carranglan are two examples. The Puente de Calle Paroba in Pampanga was built at a section of the Mexico-Sta. Ana de Pimpin Road in Mexico.
The General Felipe Estrella Bridge in Malolos, Bulacan, was built in 1810 and renovated in 1926, spanning the Tampoy River. In the second half of the nineteenth century, at least three unnamed bridges were built on the Baliuag-San Rafael Road in San Rafael north of Malolos, but only two remain today. In San Rafael, these existing bridges connect the villages of Tambobong and Caingin, as well as Caingin and Pantubig.
South of Manila…
Puente de Zapote, Las Pias is famous for being the site of battles between the Katipuneros and Spanish troops in 1897 and the Katipuneros and Americans in 1899. Puente de Isabel II in Imus, Cavite, was built in 1875 by Fray Matias. A cross marks the central pier. Puente de Mabacao was built in 1876 along the Maragondon-Magallanes road, most likely by Eduardo Lopez Navarro. More bridges have been reported in Cavite, but their provenance is unknown (Noche 2011, 65-69). The Binambangan Bridge in Indang, as well as the Camaren and Kastilaan bridges in General Trias, are among the other bridges in Cavite.
Batangas’ rapid economic growth, fueled by a surge in coffee, the province’s newest cash crop, and the steady expansion of coconut plantations, made it critical that the province’s road system be improved. To accomplish this, the government established a distinct engineering district under the direction of Antonio de la Camara, who served as director of engineering from 1877 to 1888. While a road system had been laid out, with bridges over rivers and chasms, the road was not paved. Puente de Cay Utak and Puente de Kawa-Kawa at San Jose de Malaquing Tubig are in Batangas. Both may be the work of Father Ramon Sanchez, OSA, who restored the church and built the belfry in 1856 along the old San Jose-Lipa road. Puente de Pansipit on the Taal-Lemery road was probably built in the late 1800s by Navarro or Batangas district engineer de la Camara. Father Celestino Mayordomo, OSA is credited with creating Puentecito de Caysasay in Taal around 1850. Puente de Calle Laurel and Puente de M. H. del Pilar are two other bridges in Taal whose construction dates and designers are unknown. The Bauan-Batangas National Road’s Puente de Bauan has been renovated. The original masonry work is only visible on its eastern and western flanks (Noche 2011, 70-79).
Many Dominican and Jesuit friar estates were located in Laguna. They were responsible for some of the infrastructure in this area. The Franciscans were also involved in construction. The Franciscans were avid bridge builders, despite the fact that their own rule of life prohibited them from owning estates. In 1849-1852, Father Victorino de Moral de Calatrava, OFM constructed the Puente de Capricho in Majayjay. The bridge connected the church to the outskirts of Rio de Olla. Father Victorino was widely despised for extorting labor for his construction projects. Father Victorino was assigned to Lucban in response to complaints about him, leaving the bridge of whim unfinished. Puente de Olla, which was inaugurated on December 5, 1874, also crosses the Rio de Olla (Noche 2011, 80-86). Typhoon Santi (international name: Mirinae) destroyed this bridge in 2003, and it was later replaced by a concrete bridge.
Like Laguna, neighboring Quezon has a collection of stone bridges built by Franciscan friars. The Puente de Alitao bridge connected Sariaya and Tayabas, the province’s capital. During Governor Juan Lopez’s tenure, a wooden bridge built in 1798 was replaced with a stone bridge in 1823. Three bridges, all in Tayabas, were critical in making this capital accessible: the Puente de Don Francisco de Asis, built in 1854; the Puente de Malagonlong, built between 1841 and 1850 by Father Antonio Matheus, OFM; and the Puente de Mate and Puente de Lakawan. In Lucban, the Puente de Capricho, also known as the Puente de Arco, was damaged during WWII and is no longer in use (Noche 2011, 87-98). Tayabas still has the most extant Spanish colonial bridges in the country. The National Museum designated twelve of these as National Cultural Treasures in 2011. The Malagonlong Bridge, which spans the Dumacaa River on the Tayabas-Pagbilao Road, is the longest and most beautiful of these. The length of this stone bridge with five arches is 445 feet. Pagbilao has at least four bridges: the Puente de Bigo, the Puente de Bukal, the Puente de Iyakin, and the Puente de Mayao.
The improved infrastructure of Bicol was created to protect the peninsula from slave raiders. Better roads, bridges, and a network of watchtowers enabled troops to be deployed quickly in response to raids. Similarly, better roads enabled coastal villagers to seek refuge in high ground. With the appointment of Jose Ma. Pearanda as governor on May 14, 1834, Bicol’s infrastructure was greatly improved. During his tenure, a rapid upgrade of Bicol’s defensive capabilities was initiated.
The names of those who built Albay’s bridges are unknown. Puente de Busay, built along the Camalig-Daraga road, could be the work of Ricardo Ayuso, Nueva Caceres’ district engineer, or the Franciscan friars. Puente de Camalig may have been designed by Father Miguel Antonio de Barcela, OFM, who served as parish priest from 1846 to 1864 and again from 1875 to 1870. Father could have built the Puente de Basud Segundo in Polangui. Father Jose Arnau, OFM, who served as parish priest from 1839 to 1848, or Father Isidro Pons, OFM, who served as parish priest from 1859 to 1864. Father Zeferino de Quintanar, parish priest from 1851 to 1863, may have designed the Puente de Travesia in Guinobatan. Puente de Paulog, Lig-ao, as well as Puente de Busay and Puente de San Jose, may have been constructed at the same time. Like most Bicol bridges, information on year of construction and builder of Puente de Malinao and Puente San Jose, Bagacay are uncertrain (Noche 2011: 99-108).
Islands South of Luzon…
Marinduque was a Franciscan mission until 1615, when it was transferred to the Jesuits. Puente de Boac is a single arched masonry bridge in Barangay Murallon. The year of construction and the builder are both unknown. Its road deck and supporting parapets have been remodeled since the 1930s, obscuring its Hispanic roots (Noche 2011, 147). Mogpog also has a stone bridge called Puente de Mogpog, which is located in front of its church.
Romblon, located in the Sibuyan Sea, was part of a group of islands evangelized by the Recollects beginning in 1635. Banton and Tablas were among these islands. The Recollects were in charge of much of the construction during the Spanish period, including churches, conventos, fortifications, roads, and bridges. Romblon was made a comandancia politico-militar in 1853. Three bridges are clustered near each other in small areas of the Romblon poblacion, Romblon. The Puente de Belen is named after the statue of Nuestra Seora de Belen, which is located near the bridge. The bridge leads to San Jose Parish Church. The Puente de Romblon spans the same dry riverbed as the Puente de Belen and, like it, has benches on either side. The Casalogan River is crossed by the Puente de Rio Casalogan. These bridges’ construction year and builder are unknown. They could have been built by Recollect Fathers such as Father Pedro de San Agustin, 1644-1726, who built the Romblon church. According to Noche (2011, 140), these bridges were possibly built by Don Eduardo Asuero y Soto, the province’s Commandant P. M. el Teniente de Infanteria, who built the town’s water system in 1864. The bridges could have been built around this time (Noche 2011, 139-146).
Visayas…
The Augustinians evangelized Panay. Puente de Boni on the way to Miag-ao was built in 1854 during the governorship of Miguel Navales (mayor). The bridge is named after Boni Neular, who was the maestro de obras at the time (master builder). The bridge, which is no longer functional, now serves as a decorative element in a park. The bridge is slightly curved as a result of a 1948 earthquake. Puente de Britanico in Barangay Bulho is another stone bridge in Miag-ao. San Joaquin, a neighboring town, also has old stone bridges, mostly smaller ones known as puentecitos. The Puentecito de Ngalay-ngalay, Puentecito de Calle Agustin, Puentecito de Calle Mabini, and Puentecito de Calle Arroyo are among them. Alimodian has three bridges, the most notable of which is Puente de Eloisa, which was most likely built during the tenure of Father Florencio Martin, who also built the church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva de Alimodian (Noche 2011, 163-167). Stone bridges were also constructed in other areas of Panay, including Dao (now Tobias Fornier) and Patnongon in Antique, as well as Capiz (now Roxas City) in Capiz.
The Augustinians also evangelized Cebu. Puente de Salog in Samboan, a stone stairway leading from the road to the crest of a hill where the Samboan church stands, may have been built at the same time as Jacob’s ladder. The bridge near the bottom of the ladder could be the work of secular priest Toribio Gerzon, parish priest from 1847 to 1897. Other bridges in Cebu include the Parian in Cebu City, the Puente de Montaesa in Malabuyoc, and an unnamed bridge in Alegria that was demolished to make way for the Cebu Circumferential road expansion (Noche 2011, 159-162). Bridges can also be found in Cauayan and Dalaguete.
Leyte and Southern Leyte were Jesuit missions founded in 1595 but handed over to Augustinians in 1768 and Franciscans in the nineteenth century. Palo’s Puente de la Purisima spans the Rio Bangon. It’s a bridge from the nineteenth century. Puente de la Reina in Ormoc City now serves as a decorative element in a park behind the city hall rather than as a bridge. The bridge’s construction began on June 30, 1864, and was completed in 1865, during the administration of General Francisco de Herrera, district governor of Leyte. Maasin’s Puente de Combado spans the Putat Creek. It was constructed in the late 18th century (Noche 2011, 151-158).
The Jesuits arrived in 1596 and evangelized Bohol. In 1768, the area was given to the Recollects. The majority of the bridges in Bohol are located in the south. Puente de Balbalan, Puente de Dimiao, Puente de Taongon, and the more notable Puente de Calle Mabini and Puente de Tonga Can-andan are among the five Spanish colonial bridges in Dimiao. Dimiao’s Puente de Calle Mabini is located inland. Its history is unknown. Puente de Tonga Can-andan on the Dimiao-Valencia Road may have been built by Father Enrique de Santo Tomas de Villanueva, OAR, who served as parish priest from 1795 to 1805, 1806 to 1812, and 1815 to 1817, or by Father Manuel Carasuan de San Pascual, OAR, who served as parish priest from 1844 to 1845.
Puente de Riego in Loboc is one of six bridges built during Father Aquilino Bon’s presidency in 1856. Fr Bon was well-known for his architectural works. Bon designed the new facade of Loboc Church as well as its free-standing bell tower. Puente de Guadalupe, Puente de Garita, Puente de San Pedro, Puente de Alagras, and Puente de La Loma are Loboc’s other five bridges. Puente de Lam-ao in Lila was constructed in the nineteenth century. Other bridges on Bohol include the Puente de Dauis, as well as the Puente de Tiguis, Puente de Lumanoy, and Puente de Lum-ap in Lila. Father Julio Saldaa built an earthwork bridge, technically known as a causeway, in Bohol during the nineteenth century to connect the towns of Tagbilaran and Dauis. The Dauis channel was crossed by rammed earth supported by stone riprap at its approaches. The middle span was made of wood and elevated to allow boats to pass through the channel (Noche 2011, 167-171).
In Mindanao, an unnamed arched stone bridge in Lumbaca-Unayan, Lanao del Sur, was allegedly built for military purposes in the late nineteenth century. In the late nineteenth century, the Puente de General Blanco, a steel suspension bridge, was built in Cagayan de Misamis (now Cagayan de Oro City), Misamis Oriental. During the American period, this bridge, now known as the Ysalina or Carmen Bridge, was reconstructed out of concrete and steel and inaugurated in 1931. In Mambajao, Camiguin, a coral stone bridge called Puente de Mambajao was built near the church of San Nicolas de Tolentino. Apart from these, wooden bridges were most likely built in other parts of Mindanao during the Spanish colonial period.
American Colonial Era
While the Spanish built many bridges in the nineteenth century, bridge construction in America accelerated as the colonial government sought to improve transportation and communication. Bridges that were deteriorating were repaired or replaced with new ones. Work started during the Spanish era was improved and carried on.
American-period Ayala Bridge in Manila (Photo from Edward Delos Santos/Pinoy Kollektor)
There were three types of bridges built by the United States. The steel bridge or truss bridge was the first and most durable, made of girders or triangle-shaped trusses imported from the United States and supported by concrete piers sunk into the riverbed. The road could be made of strong lumber, such as molave, or it could be paved with asphalt. The truss bridge, which is simple to build, has become the most popular type of bridge from Luzon to Mindanao. The wooden bridge that crossed creeks and rivulets was a rung below the steel bridge. This bridge had the same structural design as a girder bridge or was a triangular arch with the bases embedded in the earth and the apex supporting the span. The structure supported the roadway, which was flanked on either side by railings. A third type of bridge, similar to a pontoon bridge, sat on the water’s surface and was used while a permanent bridge was being repaired or built.
Many bridges built in the United States are still in use today. One example is the Ayala Bridge over the Pasig River. This steel truss bridge replaced the old Puente de la Convalesencia in 1906. The bridge connected the Pasig’s north and south banks, with a short spur connecting to the Isla. Other hispanic bridges built over the Pasig were also replaced by new ones during the American regime.
Jones Bridge replaced the Puente de Espaa, which was destroyed by a typhoon in 1914. The pre-World War II bridge’s construction began in 1916 and was completed in 1921. It was designed by Juan Arellano and built west of the Puente de Espaa. It was regarded as the most beautiful bridge of its time, with allegorical statues adorning its approach and pier sides, complementing its neoclassical design. The concrete statues were attributed to Ramon Martinez, but this attribution has been called into question, and the name of German sculptor Otto Fisher-Credo has been mentioned instead. Fisher-Credo, born in Berlin and died in Vancouver, collaborated with Arellano on the sculptures and decorative elements of the Legislative Building. He attended art academies in Berlin (1908-1915) and Paris (1919-1921). He lived in the Philippines, Mexico, Cuba, the United States, and Canada before settling down in Canada. In Mexico, he befriended Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. He had his first solo show in Manila in 1926 and lived there for six years. Fisher-studio Credo’s photographs show the Madre Filipina, one of four statues on the bridge in his studio. Fisher-Credo also created the dolphins that flank the bridge piers.
The bridge cost one million dollars to construct and was criticized for its opulence. It was destroyed during WWII and replaced by a simpler bridge. Three of the four statues on the bridge survived the 1945 bombing. Madre Filipina was relocated to Rizal Park, and the other two statues were relocated to the front of the Court of Appeals.
Quiapo Bridge was built in the art deco style to replace Puente Colgante. The bridge was allowed to operate until the Quiapo Bridge was completed, at which point Colgante was demolished. During the American era, the Spanish-era Santa Cruz Bridge was completed. Santa Cruz was damaged during WWII and later replaced by a reinforced structure. The Quiapo Bridge, from which the Americans launched large cannons to shell the southern side of Manila, particularly Intramuros, where Japanese troops had retreated and taken refuge, was largely unscathed. Quiapo Bridge was later renamed Quezon Bridge.
A bridge was built to connect Bonifacio Drive with the North Harbor on the northern side of Pasig when it was built as an extension of Dewey Boulevard. It was originally named Del Pan, but was later renamed Roxas.
Many American-built bridges can still be found throughout the Philippines. Kennon Road, built between 1901 and 1905, connected Rosario, La Union, with Baguio, the summer capital. Trestle bridges were built to span gaps between chasms, and were later replaced by steel truss bridges. Carmen, Pangasinan, has one of the longest bridges. Its central section was a truss bridge, which was unfortunately damaged during the 1990 earthquake. Other parts of the country also saw the construction of steel-truss bridges. The Banaoang (also known as President Quirino) Bridge, which spans the Abra River in Santa, Ilocos Sur; the Lamut Bridge in Ifugao; the Candaba Bridge in Pampanga; and the Wahig Bridge in Dagohoy, Bohol are among them.
The Virginia Bridge and Iron Company constructed the Guimbal Steel Bridge in Guimbal, Iloilo, in 1931. The Tumagboc Bridge, which spans the Tumagboc River in the neighboring town of Miag-ao, was built in 1937.
A number of existing American-era bridges have a consistent design: concrete decks resting on concrete piers, with concrete balusters adorning the parapet walls. The old Bagbag Bridge in Calumpit, Bulacan; the Siwaragan Bridge in San Joaquin, Iloilo; and the Himamaylan and Hinigaran bridges in Negros Occidental are all examples.
At times, bridges were built with one or two concrete arches supporting the concrete decks such as the Sabang Bridge in Ibaan, Batangas; Governor Charles A. Reynolds Memorial (also known as Banao) Bridge in Guinobatan, Albay; Capiz Bridge spanning the Panay River in Roxas City, Capiz which was built by the American military engineers in 1901; and the Bagunawa Bridge in San Enrique, Negros Occidental. The Bureau of Public Works, forerunner of today’s Department of Public Works and Highways, was in charge of these projects.
Period of the Republics
During World War II, much of the Philippine infrastructure was destroyed. In the 1940s and 1950s, the guiding philosophy was rehabilitation. With the introduction of reinforced concrete prior to World War II, bridges constructed after the war had simpler designs. Massive riverbed-built piers supported reinforced concrete girders. The roads were surfaced with asphalt or concrete and were bordered by pedestrian walkways with concrete railings.
Construction of lighter, longer, and stronger bridge spans made it possible to connect not only waterways but also low-lying areas prone to floods and traffic intersections as reinforced concrete improved and better engineering procedures were created. This led to the development of superhighways and elevated roads.
From the 1960s until the 1980s, the government took great pride in the improvement of the nation’s infrastructure. The capital, Manila, and the provinces to the north and south were connected by paved highways. At locations where it was anticipated that heavy traffic would converge, underpasses and overpasses were constructed.
During the first administration of Ferdinand Marcos, from 1965 to 1969, infrastructure development and construction accelerated significantly. His accomplishments in public works contributed to his election to a second term. Marcos was proud of having constructed more roads and bridges than any previous administration. During Marcos’s first term, the North Diversion road, which is now the North Luzon Expressway or NLEX, was constructed. The bridges that had to be constructed above the tollway to allow through traffic from Manila to the north were redesigned by NLEX. The construction of ramps or interchanges that were modifications of bridges was required. The cloverleaf junction between NLEX and EDSA at Balintawak was the first of its kind in the Philippines. There were also diamond, folded diamond with roundabout, trumpet, trumpet with roundabout, half Y, and parcio or partial cloverleaf interchange forms.
The Candaba Viaduct, an elevated section of the North Expressway, spans approximately 40 kilometers above flood-prone zones. Although it is considered a viaduct, it is actually a long bridge supported by piers buried into the Pampanga plains. The Patapat Viaduct between Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, and the Cagayan Valley was also erected. It is 1,300 meters long, stands 31 meters above the water, and runs along the northernmost coast of Luzon.
During the second administration of Marcos, the San Juanico and the Cebu-Mactan bridges stood out. The San Juanico was constructed between 1969 and 1973, during the period of martial law. This bridge was 2,200 meters or 2.2 kilometers in length, making it the longest in the Philippines. Santa Rita on Samar Island and Tacloban on Leyte were connected by the bridge. The bridge was a component of the Pan-Philippine Highway that traversed the eastern portion of Luzon. Exiting San Juanico Island and heading north toward Samar, the bridge had a lovely S-curve.
The Mactan-Mandaue Bridge or the First Mactan Bridge in Cebu, 2012 (Photo by Marlon Ray Surban)
The separating strait between Mandaue, Cebu and Mactan Island has been bridged to facilitate transportation between these two islands. The project was essential to the construction of an international airport at Mactan, as the old Cebu airport at Lahug was risky for aircrafts due to its proximity to mountains and incapacity to handle larger international-routed aircraft. The bridge’s construction began in 1970 and was finished in 1972. The box truss bridge measured 846 meters in length and 9 meters in width. In October 1986, the Patapat Viaduct in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, which was begun during the Marcos administration, was inaugurated. This 1,300-meter-long bridge is the longest of its kind in the country. It crosses a mountain facing Pasaleng Bay and is made of concrete.
The construction of bridges continued following the Marcos administration as the government repaired infrastructure. The Magat Bridge in Cabatuan, Isabela, was finished in 1991. Lahar from Mount Pinatubo’s eruption in 1991 covered the Central Plains, particularly Pampanga, and rendered the MacArthur Highway unusable. To solve this issue, a suspension bridge was constructed between Mabalacat, Pampanga and Capas, Tarlac, and the portion of MacArthur that had been covered was lifted.
In Cebu, a second bridge connecting Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City was inaugurated in August 1999. It is a 1,237-meter-long cable-stayed bridge named after Supreme Court Justice Marcelo Fernan of Cebu. The main span measures 185 meters. The middle part of this bridge style is a suspension bridge attached to a central tower. From 2006 to 2007, the Diosdado Macapagal Bridge, a steel cable-stayed bridge, was constructed at the Agusan River crossing of the Butuan Bypass Road in Butuan City. In 2009, one of the nation’s tallest bridges was built in Sogod, Southern Leyte. The Agas-Agas Bridge is 350 meters in length and 88 feet in height.
In 2016, the concrete Pamplona Bridge was constructed in Pamplona, Cagayan, replacing the old steel-truss bridge from the American era. 2015 saw the completion of the Lullutan Bridge in Ilagan, Isabela, another important bridge project in the region. The bridge, measuring 1.75 kilometers, is the longest in Cagayan Valley.
The Build Build Build Program of the Duterte Administration resulted in the construction of a number of bridges throughout the nation, including the nearly completed Binondo-Intramuros Bridge over the Pasig River and the Cebu-Cordova Bridge crossing the Mactan Channel. The former, funded by the Chinese government, is controversial because it encroaches on the buffer zone of the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, a declared World Heritage Site, which could lead to the delisting of not only San Agustin, but also the three other Baroque Churches of the Philippines inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993. Two additional bridges across the Pasig River were constructed by the Duterte Administration. The Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge, which connects Makati and Mandaluyong, and the Ortigas-BGC Link Bridge, which connects Ortigas via Kapitolyo in Pasig to the Bonifacio Global City, which straddles Makati and Taguig, are examples of such bridges.
The Plaridel Bypass Road Bridge, which spans the Angat River between the towns of Bustos and San Rafael in Bulacan, and the 600-meter Panguiaman Bridge in Sultan Kudarat are two further completed bridge projects under the Build Build Build Program.
The bridge has also been utilized in the construction of elevated highways or skyways, highway approaches, a system to channel traffic, and the crossing of stationary traffic. In the business district of a city, bridges may serve as elevated pedestrian passageways from one building to the next.
The first skyway project to be completed in the Philippines is Stage 1 of the Metro Manila Skyway System, an expressway connecting the Bicutan neighborhood in Paraaque and the Buendia neighborhood in Makati. This project was initiated in 1995 during the presidency of Fidel Ramos and finished in 1998 during the presidency of Joseph Estrada, his successor. The extension of the elevated highway from Bicutan to Alabang in Muntinlupa began in 2009 and was finished two years later. In 2014, during the presidency of Benigno C. Aquino III, the building of the third stage of the NLEX, connecting Buendia to the Balintawak Toll Plaza, commenced. Inaugurated in January 2021, this project traverses the Osmea Highway (previously known as the South Super highway), Pandacan, the San Juan River between the towns of Manila and San Juan, and the Araneta Avenue and Bonifacio Drive in Quezon City. Skyway Stage 4, which would connect Skyway Stage 2 in Taguig to Batasan Road in Quezon City, is now under development, as is the Skyway expansion from Alabang to Susana Heights Exit in Muntinlupa City.
The NAIA Expressway or NAIAX, which connects the 11.6-kilometer Skyway segment in the Villamor Airbase region to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals in Pasay and the Entertainment City in Paraaque, is another elevated highway project built in Metro Manila. The project began in 2004 during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, continued throughout the presidency of Benigno C. Aquino III, and was completed during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte in 2017. The NLEX Harbor Link Project, which connects Manila’s Port area to the Mindanao Exit of NLEX, is the most recent to be completed. This project began construction in 2009 and was finished in 2020.
By Khristynne Martinez
Khristynne Martinez, with a degree from Arellano University Pasay, specialized in covering entertainment and lifestyle beats. Her foray into comedy brings those stories to life with a twist, poking fun at celebrity culture and the quirks of living in Pasay, bridging journalism and humor with flair.