rainy days and mondays, and agus bridge broke down

This day has got to be the most interesting work day so far.  I doubt I can have this experience if I had my OJT in Manila.

Early this morning, someone planted bombs in the bridge in Barangay Buru-un (the one we have to cross if we want to go to Ozamis City, Linamon, Timoga, or in my case, the company where I work).  Others said the blast was even heard in the part of the city where I’m residing.  I was probably too asleep because I never recall hearing any bomb blast (Baka sanay na sa terrorist training? Joke! Di ako terrorist. Hahaha).

I first heard this while I was onboard the company bus.  My father did not have an inkling this happened because I had to hear it from someone else (OT: He did not even know that Uni City got bombed until I asked him about it the day it happened).  The bridge was deemed unfit for vehicles to pass through so we had to get off the bus and wait to walk across it instead.  Other people were also lining up to cross the bridge.  While lining up, I happened to meet my high school friend Hanilyn (that’s one more high school classmate I’ve seen since I arrived here).

We had to wait for an hour just to be able to cross the bridge.  They only let 5 people cross it at a time, for fear that it might collapse if too many people walk across the bridge.  Others opted to ride pump boats to be able to cross the bridge because they were too tired to wait.  At first the rate was P10/person but it later increased to P20/person (Supply and demand in action!).  It was interesting to observe everything that was happening while I waited to get across:

- The mayor was there busy doing mayor-ly stuff.  He even rode the pump boat for I-don’t-know-what reason.

- The person in charge of letting people through was visibly agitated.  He was shouting stuff like: people should only line in the middle area; those in the sides should go away lest an ambulance run over them, and the only ones who can be seen is him (kay gwapo daw siya) and the other authorities; the highway said that people can no longer cross the bridge (He meant DPWH, but I find it funny because it’s as if he’s saying it’s the inanimate object that is the highway who’s giving the command); then a minute later he says people can cross the bridge K.

- The reporters I first saw enter the site were foreigners.  ABS-CBN arrived later, then followed by Bombo Radyo.

After all the waiting, it was finally my turn to cross the bridge.  They gave me a wooden stick as my ticket.  While crossing, I took pictures of where the damage was (Too bad I left my USB connector back in the dorm, so I can’t upload my pictures).

What an interesting day to start the week!

On the other hand, we need to be vigilant during these times.  So watch out for those papaya bombs!