P85M Poswoy Bridge in Balbalan formally turned over to community, linking villages and unlocking opportunities

Balbalan, Kalinga – The multi-million-peso Poswoy Bridge was formally turned over to the people of Balbalan following its full completion on February 23, 2026.

More than a year after the project’s implementation began, the P85-million bridge was inaugurated in the presence of Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Carlito Galvez Jr. and his Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) team, along with local officials led by Governor James Edduba, Mayor Almar Malannag, and Vice Mayor Regina Munda Cruz.

The bridge was initially targeted for completion within one year. However, construction was delayed due to inclement weather experienced in Kalinga in recent months.

Stretching 45 meters long, the Poswoy Bridge can carry up to 17 tons and is expected to last for the next 50 years. The infrastructure is seen to benefit iBalbalans, particularly residents of Barangays Poswoy, Ab-abaan, and Dao-angan, by providing safer and easier travel and enabling them to transport their goods to markets with less difficulty.

Construction of the project began following its groundbreaking ceremony on August 6, 2024, funded through an P85-million allocation from OPAPRU under the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program.

The project stemmed from consultations conducted in 2022 by the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC), chaired by Governor Edduba. During the consultations, the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) was directed to prepare a resolution seeking funding support from OPAPRU. The resolution was subsequently submitted to Galvez, who was serving as OPAPRU secretary at the time.