CITY OF MALOLOS—The 26 year old Bulacan’s welcome arch in this capital city now undergoes repair and makeover not only for motorist’s safety but also to rectify the province misspelled name and also to further enhance its design.
The Bulacan Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) started to demolish last week the welcome arch along the MacArthur highway in Tabang, Guiguinto and Tikay in City of Malolos to give way for a wider and taller structure that will no longer be an obstruction to the road.
PEO chief Glen Reyes said the new 15.2 meters wide arch will now cover the four lanes of the MacArthur highway from previously only 11.5 meters two lanes scope based on the old design. The vertical clearance of the arch will also increase from the existing 5.1 meters to 6 meters.
Bulacan Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) First District Engineering Office chief Henry Alcantara whose office was also consulted on the structure of the arch said the four-lane arch structure now will become motorist-friendly.
The arch had been a road obstruction over the years because of its narrow two lanes starting from its approach both in the south and north bound lanes. Unmindful motorists accidentally smashed into the foot and the body of the arch were hurt and injured and also incurred damages both to the arch and to their vehicles.
According to Reyes, the arch became an obstruction when it was left only covering two lanes when the DPWH had started with its widening project in the highway and expanded it into four lanes. Also, taller and elongated trucks damaged the top portion of the arch because of no full vertical clearance.
City of Malolos Mayor Christian Natividad called the welcome arch an obstruction because of the said series of accidents occurring in the area due to motorist’s non familiarity particularly for those who are new to the place.
“The structure is constructed in the inner lane of the highway. It really puts motorists in danger. It is a road obstruction and must really be reconstructed,” he told NEWS CORE in an earlier interview after a truck driver and his brother were injured while traversing the road because he failed to notice the arch.
According to Reyes, the arch was constructed in 1998 in time for the centennial celebration of the June 12, 1898 Philippine Independence at Barasoain Church, which is located in this capital city of the province.
The boundary marker between the City of Malolos, the capital city of Bulacan and Guiguinto town, where the Tabang entry and exit of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) have their respective Guiguinto and City of Malolos faces and fronts.
The name of Bulacan province (with Bulakan) is also erroneously spelled in the structure using a letter “k” instead of a “c”. Bulakan with a “k” refers to the town, the old capital of the province and Bulacan with a “c” refers to the province.
Perfecto Martin, known editor and book author and former president of Kabesera Inc, a cultural, historical and heritage group of Bulakan town welcomes the repair and makeover of the arch to finally be able to correct the said wrong spelling of the name of the prsovince.
The top left and right corner of the arch has a design of cannon similar to a cannon that is placed in front of the Bulacan Capitol which symbolizes Bulaccan’s leading role in achieving the country’s freedom during Philippine-Spanish revolution. Each cannon bears a Philippine flag.
The arch’s major and center design is rays of the sun and the Barasoain Church. The Barasoain Church, is a main emblem of Bulacan being the site where the Malolos Congress was held where the Malolos Constitution was crafted and ratified respectively on Sept. 15, 1898 and Jan. 23, 1899 which gave birth to the First Philippine Republic. The design also carries the Bulacan provincial logo and the City of Malolos logo.
Reyes said they keep all the original design of the arch and only enhanced them to make it look more beautiful. “We didn’t change any of the design, we just enhanced it. We keep its original old looks and design and we only enhanced them for a more astonishing looks,’ he said.
Reyes also said that the design was approved by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
The P7-million worth rehabilitation project is expected to be completed before the end of the year, Reyes told NEWS CORE on Wednesday.
Gov. Daniel Fernando and Vice Gov. Alexis Castro approved the P7-million worth budget for the Bulacan welcome arch in time for this year’s 446th anniversary celebration of the province last Aug. 15 and the start on Sept. 9 of the annual week-long Sining Kalinangan ng Bulacan (Singkaban) Festival, the mother feast of all feasts and festivals in the province.
Prof. Jaime Salvador Corpuz, a history, culture and heritage book writer who also owns the “Bahay Makabayan” museum in Marilao town said the Bulacan welcome arch symbolizes the rich history, culture and heritage of the province which needs to shine and stand out while it greets every Filipino, even international tourists coming in the province and the ordinary Bulakenyos passing daily along the said road.
