A youth organization condemned the alleged illegal demolition of the 91-year-old Talave Bridge connecting Calatrava and San Carlos City in Negros Occidental despite calls for its preservation as an “important cultural heritage”.
Juan Calatrava Movement chairperson Andoni Llantada said that they are condemning the “illegal demolition” of the nine decades old bridge and questioning the local government of San Carlos and the Department of Public Works and Highways for allowing it to happen.
The bridge was built in 1933 by the United States Steel Products Co. and was used by trucks carrying sugarcane, goods, and services before World War II.
The Juan Calatrava Movement questioned the compelling reasons behind the demolition despite the advice of the National Historical Commission to preserve the bridge as it is an important cultural and heritage structure of the country.
“We feel what the LGU and DPWH did was a direct assault and insult to the intelligence of the people of Calatrava and the entire country”, Llantada said.
Llantada said the Juan Calatrava Movement will not hesitate to join any initiatives to hold the perpetrators accountable of “this crime against the people”.*