STA. MARIA, Bulacan –Residents living in this town fear that the rehabilitation of three bridges damaged by tropical storm “Ondoy” might be affected by the election ban that will be imposed in connection with the forthcoming May, 2010 elections if funds will not be immediately made available.

If this happens, they fear an economic slowdown could affect the local business of this progressive municipality.

Ansel Adriano, the town council’s chairman of the Committee on Environment, Trade and Industry, identified the three damaged bridges as the Catmon Bridge, Pulong Buhangin Bridge, and the Balasing Bridge.

Adriano said that among the bridges, Catmon incurred the most damage and remains impassable to any type of vehicle as one of its foundations gave way to rampaging floodwater at the height of Ondoy’s onslaught. Only bicycles and pedestrians can pass through it.

Half of Pulong Buhangin Bridge, meanwhile, is not passable to any type of vehicles while the other half can only accommodate light vehicles. Balasing Bridge is also closed to heavy vehicles.

The damaged bridges are in the main road artery to the north eastern part of the town where poultry, piggery, dairy, garments, and pyrotechnic industries are mostly situated, Adriano said.

Residents fear that if the bridges are not immediately rehabilitated, investors may relocate as they would be unable to transport their goods, especially with the fast approaching Christmas when the demand for their products is at its peak.

On the part of the local government unit of Sta. Maria, Adriano said that they have already passed a resolution requesting President Arroyo to set aside a portion of the P10 billion supplemental budget of the national government for the rehabilitation of damaged infrastructures due to Ondoy.