User:Sapalicio

Candaba Bridge

The Candaba Bridge is a suspension bridge in Candaba, Pampanga, Philippines. Completed sometime in the late 1930’s or the early 1940’s, this is the first suspension bridge in Philippines. There is no preserved historical record regarding the exact original completion date. The construction was supervised by a platoon of American highway engineers. The bridge’s design and framework were patterned after the famous San Francisco Bridge. Being a suspension bridge, the bridge sways whenever a motorized vehicle passes by it. For this reason, the Candabeños call it Tete Duyan (Hammock Bridge).

Candaba Bridge spans a great river, the Rio Grande of Pampanga. Pampanga, a province of Central Luzon in the Philippines, was established along the banks ("pampang") of this great river. Travelers who passed the river's way brought home stories of a land with a majestic mountain jutting from its navel, a place of scenic wonders, boundless resources and magnificent townscapes, peopled by a proud brown race. What other magical views could our forefathers have seen from this river's fabled "pampang"?

Candaba Bridge suffered extensive damages in the Second World War but was rebuilt after the war with a grant from the United States. Candaba suspension bridge was reconstructed or repaired in 1946 through RP and US Restoration Act. In its time, the Candaba Bridge was truly a building masterpiece, sleek and streamlined, with its load-bearing deck hung below cables on vertical suspenders. From a distance, the bridge seemed to float miraculously on air. Candaba Bridge was rededicated in 1953 during the tenure of Mayor Anastacio Gallardo (assassinated in 1966) and Vice Mayor Vicente Pelayo.

In December 2019 the Municipal Council of Candaba decided to demolish the bridge to give way to the construction of a new 2-lane parallel bridge side by side with a new bridge. The destruction of this beloved Tete Duyan has becoming a rallying point among residents. The Candabeños believe that destroying this bridge is destroying their heritage, destroying their history, and destroying their identity. The bridge is the one and only structure that differentiates Candaba from all other towns in the entire Philippines.

Sources:

https://www.facebook.com/Candaba-Bridge-107330644086191/?ref=page_internal

https://viewsfromthepampang.blogspot.com/2009/04/144-heritage-structures-candaba-bridge.html