‘We need it like we need a hole in our head’: Chinese friendship bridge in Manila not so popular with the locals
The US$90.8 million structure has been plagued by delays and is planned to sit within 150 metres of two other traffic access points
Construction of an friendship bridge gifted to Manila by the Chinese government to ease traffic congestion has been delayed yet again, raising questions about the project’s necessity and community impact.
Groundbreaking for the four-lane steel bridge was initially scheduled for September last year, but was pushed back to November to coincide with a visit from President Xi Jinping. The ceremony was again cancelled, however, when Xi sidestepped the Philippines for the Apec summit in Vietnam and sent Premier Li Keqiang instead.
More recently, the Philippines’ Department of Public Works and Highways announced that the groundbreaking would be held by March, but gave no definite date.
The 4.61 billion peso (US$90.8 million) project’s delays have given volume to critics who suggest the bridge is a waste of time and resources. Intended to ease traffic in Manila’s Chinatown district of Binondo and serve as a symbol of friendship, the planned structure would sit within 150 metres of two other access points.
Which heritage building are you going to cut through? The old immigration building or national archives in Intramuros?
“I questioned why we are putting up the bridge,” said Teresita Ang-See in two forums late last year. “We need that bridge like we need a hole in our head. It will not decongest traffic because that’s not the problem.”
Ang-See is a prominent community leader who co-founded the Filipino-Chinese civil society group Kaisa.
