Tapul Bridge
We are constructing a pedestrian bridge for the Tapul community in the Philippines, who are facing difficulty in accessing healthcare, education, and in the movement of goods, across the Ulot River. The bridge construction will increase their accessibility to goods and services.
After a typhoon in 2015 wiped away the Tapul Community's bridge that allowed them access to basic amenities, the community have been struggling with crossing the Ulot River, especially when water levels rise during rainy seasons. EWB (SG) is collaborating with EWB (Houston, USA), EWB (Philippines) and EWB (Sri Lanka) to design and construct 2.2 meters wide 32 meters long pedestrian bridge, to facilitate the movement of agriculture products and people from Tapul to the nearby market, hospital and city center. The bridge involves concrete abutments, with steel trusses and a wooden deck..
The total projected cost of this project is approximately SGD 200k, which will be used for construction materials, the construction process and permits. While our volunteers from Singapore did the schematic design for the bridge, it is important for us to have community involvement. Hence, majority of the labour in constructing the bridge will consist of the community who are benefitting from the bridge. If target amount for funds is procured, construction of the bridge is planned to begin in October 2022 and intended to be completed in September 2023.
EWB (SG) is also supporting the project as part of the donors acquisition team. Singapore was involved in leading the efforts for multiple Fundraising walks with the prime goal of raising funds for the project and raising awareness on the hardships faced by Tapul Community while recruiting potential volunteers. From Phase 1 of fundraising, which concluded in August 2021, 50% of the total projected bridge cost has been raised jointly by Paranas Municipality in Philippines, EWB (Singapore) and EWB (USA-Houston).