INABANGA, Bohol (PIA) – It sure is fast becoming an adventure tourist attraction, but for the residents of Barangay Napo, across the mighty Inabanga River, it is their lifeline, and keeping the steel cable stabilized hanging bridge is on top of their priorities.
“Ato unta ning ampingan, isig amping ta, suma sa gihangju ni Cong Vanvan (Congresswoman Vanessa Aumentado),” Barangay Napo residents plead as people and tourists now start to mill in and intentionally swing the bridge to seek thrill.
Napo is a barangay that burst into the global scene after a splinter group of Abu Sayyaf terrorists made the extreme effort of navigating their fast boats 12 kilometers to the headwaters of Inabanga River, apparently to plan an attack on an ongoing international event in Panglao.
An isolated community, Napo in Cebuano is a place that is like an island, isolated from the nearby communities; not necessarily by water, but by thick forests and steep cliffs, an access road carved out so land transport can get goods into the barangay and to its residents.
The longest river in Bohol with its upper tributary in the Wahig Pamacsalan rivers, Inabanga River has been rumored to take one life every year as rental for the people’s use of the river.
“Ang akong manghud, si Isidro, gikan sija sa Cuaming, nag-maestro, unja niubog sija sa suba kay wa na may nangdunggo nga sakajan, mao nga hing-ubog jud sija. Hapit jud sija malumos, mao nga naningkamot jud sija nga magbutang og tulay,” shares Jean Jerosas.
(My younger brother, Isidro, was just coming home late from Cuaming island where he teaches. That late, there were no boats then, so he decided to wade and swim. There, he almost drowned. From then, he exhausted all means so that a bridge can be built.)
Upstream is also where people believe the mythical golden city of Macaban is located. A place steeped with stories of engkantos, ships passing through the river and foghorns blowing at night, Inabanga river has its generous share of respect and fear among residents and strangers.
To make access easier, authorities have twice built a hanging foot bridge to span the river and keep people from danger.
The recent footbridge, not even a few months old, was swept away by the rampaging waters when Inabanga was flooded during typhoon Odette in 2021.
Since then, Isidro has written letters asking authorities to build for them a bridge and get Napo in the development loop. One of the letters reached the Capitol through Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado.
In December 2002, the governor wrote to Mayor Jose Jono Jumamoy and Napo Barangay Capt. Jocelyn Estose informed them of the P10 million grant from the Capitol fund donations for typhoon Odette for the restoration of Napo hanging bridge, which was completed in June and reopened to the public this month.
The bridge has also piqued the interest of domestic and foreign tourists.
“Daghan na nga mga turista ang motabok, mosinati sa paglabang sa tulay,” shares Jean Jerosas, who has built her semi concrete house near the new steel cable suspension footbridge.
(Many tourists come here for the experience of crossing the bridge.)
As a suspension bridge that connects a span of about 100 meters, every step into the deck boards produces a wave that moves the bridge as the weight shifts, making an undulating motion that discourages the uninitiated passer.
But to up the thrill, some tourists hype it and swing the bridge, causing the cables to stretch and the deckboards to sag.
Some would even take their motorcycles or overload the bridge to see how far it would hold.
During the facility turn-over a few days ago, Cong. Vanessa Aumentado, has asked the community to take care of the bridge.
“Mao pod nay ahong hanju sa mga tawo nga moari: di ba sila magda og motor, ingana unta,” Jerosas pleaded.
(This is also our appeal to the tourists, don’t drive your motorbikes when crossing the bridge.)
Jerosas, whose wooden house sits by the river side, said that they have reported that some tourists even climb the steel mesh protectors, if only to get good shots.
Napo residents fear that if the bridge gets destroyed again, they would be thrown back to the old times when they had to cross the river on bamboo rafts or paddle boats.
With only a primary school in Napo, children would have to cross the river everyday to Cawayan Elementary School and the Southern Inabanga National High School some six kilometers away.
There have been times when, out of dire need, mothers would give birth along the trails or while waiting for the boat to cross the river. The nearest hospital in town is another 10 kilometers away.
“Otherwise, it is a long walk up the trail that winds up the cliff through the forest to the nearest road,” Jerosas said.
“Lisud jud ‘ming taga Napo, perte jud ming paita dire og wala ning tulay. Mao nga magpasalamat jud mi kay gitubag ni Gov Aris ang among hangju, tanang katawhan man pud dire ang makabenepisyo ug kinsa pang mga sikbit nga barangay nga molatay,” she stressed.
(Without this bridge, life is really hard for us residents in Napo. That’s why we are very thankful to Gov. Aris for answering our request as this benefits all the residents and those who need to cross the bridge.) (RAHC/PIA-7 Bohol)
