A Portal of Unity

Greetings, my dear friend. Have you ever tried crossing a bridge in you whole life? I hope you had, except of you have a fear of bridges, then that wouldn't be possible. Anyway, below is an article made by three students who elaborated on what a bridge is, and you can find out in this article that bridges do not only serve as gateways to different islands but also as a tourist spot, can even be considered as a simple paradise and haven. So, I wouldn't make you wait any longer then, would I? Then here it is.

This mega bridge is considered as “The World’s Longest Center Span Extra Dosed Cable Stayed Bridge” by the Guinness Book of World Records. The 2nd Mandaue Mactan Bridge adapted the extra dosed pre-stressed concrete bridge type to meet the requirements of the Air Transportation Office for a limited tower height because of its proximity to the Mactan International airport and also provide enough clearance for unobstructed navigation of the Mactan Channel. This bridge was inaugurated by President Joseph Estrada on August 3, 1999. The company who constructed this “megastructure” was the brilliant Japanese company of Kajima-Sumitomo Joint Venture. The company who provided the cement was the Cebuano company of SNC Remicon Inc. It was said that it was constructed as a symbol of friendship between the Republic of the Philippines and Japan and envisioned to contribute immensely to the economic development of Cebu.

President Estrada ordered the construction of this megastructure to alleviate the traffic problem of vehicles traveling from Mandaue City to the island of Mactan. Even though there still stand the first Mandaue-Mactan Bridge, the traffic problem was still rampant so this was the solution that he thought of, to create a bridge that could help lessen the burden that people traveling from Mandaue to Mactan are carrying. Also, the bridge was strategically put so that traveling from mainland Cebu to the Mactan International Airport would be easier because it made traveling there faster and convenient. Not only is the mega bridge used for transportation, it is also used as a tourist spot. From the bridge itself, one can see the beauty of the azure waters of the Mactan Channel and when the brilliance of the sun fades out as to let Luna take her rightful throne in the sky, flocks of lovers come to the bridge to see the twinkling of the stars and the luminescence of the goddess Artemis. Another area that is a must-see is the mini-park under the bridge where refreshments are available.

The bridge was named after Marcelo B. Fernan, who was a Filipino lawyer and political figure. He is the only Filipino to have served as both Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and as Senate president. He is also the third Filipino to have headed both the judicial and legislative branches of government, after Querube Makalintal who served as Chief Justice and Speaker of the Batasang Pambansa in the 1970s, and Jose Yulo, who served as Chief Justice and Speaker of the House of Representatives before 1946.

Now, a lot of Filipinos are truly greatful to the counstruction of this considered megastructure. Nowadays, thy are not treating it only as a mere bridge but as a splendor of the ingenuity of Filipinos and the cooperation of the Japanese which only proves that Filipinos are industrious and hardworking. Also, Filipinos and tourists alike, are treating this bridge as a landmark where it is presented as a production of the labor of two countries and where they can appreciate the beauty of the waters of Cebu also. Truly, this bridge has opened the eyes of a lot of people that bridges can not only serve the people just for the solution of traffic problems but can also serve as a tourist spot, a proof that Filipinos can do anything only if they would only put their hearts into it.