Mabuhay is the gateway to the three island municipalities of Mabuhay, Talusan and Olutanga in the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay province. From the mainland town of Alicia, you can take a barge or a motorized banca at Sitio Guicam, Dawa-Dawa. In less than 10 minutes, you will arrive at Hula-hula, a sitio of Poblacion, Mabuhay.

Mabuhay is a 4th class municipality inhabited by 37,390 population with 59.13% poverty incidence and is composed of 18 barangays which are mostly located by the coast. Their coastal location makes them vulnerable during the rainy season with the strong ocean winds isolating them from supplies from the outside and preventing them from bringing their farm and fishery products to the market. Even education is made harder with the only access by students limited to the sea.

Their predicament was eventually addressed by the LGU of Mabuhay when they partnered with the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) in building a bridge. A bridge measuring 28.60 linear meters was constructed linking to the concreted 7.95-KM farm-to-market road traversing barangays Punawan-Sitio Pagaypayan-Sioton. Through this infrastructure subproject, 11 eastern barangays, namely: Looc-Barlac, San Roque, Sawa, Sto. Nino, Tandu-Comot, Taguisian, Pamansaan, Bangkaw-Bangkaw, Caliran, Bagong-Silang, and Abunda now have easy and fast access to the social, economic and security services from the government. Business is also booming in the area.

“For me this project would greatly help in the fast transport of products from 11 island barangays to the trading center of Mabuhay,” former mayor Restituto ‘Bingbong’ Calonge said. The bridge construction and upgrading of the 7.95 kilometer road was sought by former mayor Calonge back in 2017. Once completed, the residents would finally feel secure during the rainy season because even at night they could travel in and out of their homes using the road. It would also open opportunities for the youth who wished to get college education in town like in Western Mindanao State University-ESU. This road would also boost the tourism industry of Mabuhay as sooner or later we would develop an inland resort that would give additional income to the municipality.

Incumbent mayor Edreluisa Calonge recalled the vision of his late father in making the bridge a reality. “My father was a visionary,” she recalled. “This was his ‘pet project’ and I am honored to see his vision now completed.”

The Punawan-Sitio Pagaypayan-Sioton FMR was the first ever I-BUILD subproject of DA-PRDP in Zamboanga Peninsula with a bridge component. This spurred the socio-economic economic activities of the people, brought institutional and tourism development in the area, the incumbent mayor said.

The almost 8 kilometer road concreting benefits not only Mabuhay but also the municipalities of Talusan and Olutanga because the barangays of these 3 municipalities interlock with each another. In fact, the stretch at barangay Kasigpitan that belongs to the municipality of Talusan was included in the concreting because it connects to the 11 benefiting barangays of Mabuhay.

Mayor Calonge highlighted the Punawan-Sitio Pagaypayan-Sioton FMR as a quick path for the government forces to drive away the lawless elements in Mabuhay. “Extortions were eventually stopped and our residents are now living in peace. When there is peace, farmers and fisherfolk in the area become more productive and having good access from farm to the market, they are able to earn more income,” she said.

In terms of education, she added that the road provided better access to students coming from the eastern barangays who are now enrolled at Santo Niño Agro National High School.
Jerry Pagasita, a member of the Municipal Project Management and Implementation Unit talked about the new developments in Mabuhay after the bridge was constructed.

“Before, we had to pass through the municipalities of Olutanga and Talusan, for us to reach Mabuhay town proper. Today, it is reversed, the people from the neighboring towns, all pass through our bridge. Truckloads of copra, farm and marine products to be transported to the cities of Zamboanga and Dipolog pass through our bridge before they are shipped by the barge. The public utility mini bus ‘Liza May’ plying from Olutanga to Zamboanga City and vice versa is now using our bridge,” he said.

Truckloads of copra, farm and marine products to be transported to the cities of Zamboanga and Dipolog pass through our bridge before they are shipped by the barge. The public utility mini bus ‘Liza May’ plying from Olutanga to Zamboanga City and vice versa is now using our bridge,” he said. (Remai Alejado| RPCO 9)