Travel will be easier and faster, the transportation of goods and farm produce too, plus access to tourist spots in some rural areas in six Northern Luzon provinces.

The reason is the completion and turn over of seven bridges in Northern Luzon constructed or improved with funds from the Japan Bridge Grant Aid Program. And there are a lot more in the offing.

The bridges along rural roads were formally accepted by Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Manuel M. Bonoan from Japanese Charge d’Affaires Minister Akio Egawa during the April 23 inauguration of the bridges in Itogon, Benguet.

The bridges are expected to play a significant role in improving the economy of the areas considering the rich agricultural lands and tourist spots there.

The bridges are Macayug Bridge in Pangasinan, Capissayan Bridge in Cagayan, Abuar Bridge in Isabela, Bananao Bridge in Mountain Province, Abas Bridge in Abra and the Amburayan and Mambolo Bridges in Benguet.

These were completed at a cost of P708 million.

In addition to the seven bridges completed, the Japanese government is also partly financing the construction of 33 other bridges in Northern Luzon with a total length of 1,189 lineal meters.

Financing will also be under the Japan International Cooperation Agency Bridge Grant Aid Program, bringing the total grants for Northern Luzon to P1.013 billion.

The completion of the bridges is a reaffirmation of Japan’s commitment to support the Philippine government’s efforts to spur economic development and reduce poverty, Bonoan said.

Nick Joaquin’s passing diminishes us all. He was a dear friend of my family, but most of all—his family was all the Filipino people.

As a creative artist Nick challenged the Filipino imagination as few have ever done. As a journalist he explored the highs and lows of Philippine society as few have ever dared.

He fought with indomitable courage for the Filipino’s freedom, enlightenment and dignity. Under the dictatorship, he chose silence instead of compromise, a silence that said plenty—a silence that became protest, an indictment of despotic power.

His works of fiction, history, biography are lesson to every leader. He was first to question our belief and actions. He taught us to see the past without binders so we might know who we are and who we may become. We listened and took counsel.

In writing of politics and history, Nick taught us that without memories we are orphans, without memories we are fated to repeat the past and all its mistakes.

But he always gave us hope and the promise of the new beginning. Even as we lay him to rest, I see a new light on the horizon. I see a new Filipino emerging: confident, self-assured, forward looking. I see a new nation rising from the field of our past battles.

Our law enforcement units have pre-empted another attempt to sow terror as the nation moves closer to our most important activity this coming May 10.

We commend the AFP, PNP and the private security sector for their cooperation in this effort.

This latest incident should not affect our preparations for the May 10 elections or bring forth the slightest doubt that the government is capable of protecting our people and ensuring the right environment for the exercise of basic rights.

We urge the people to be very vigilant as our police and security agencies tighten their watch. The reason why we have set up a comprehensive anti-terror strategy is precisely to lump all our efforts into a common approach to deal with the threat of terrorism.

This must be done in the predictive, preventive and performance phases.

We call on all candidates at all levels to temper the heat of excessive partisan politics that may render the situation vulnerable to exploitation by terrorist elements.

The May 10 election is a turning point in our nation’s history.