Eastern Samar is bleeding — and it’s not from politics.

It’s from potholes.

Lone District Representative Christopher Sheen Gonzales has sounded the alarm: the province’s national highways are taking a beating from an influx of heavy trucks rerouted after load limits were imposed on Calbiga Bridge in Samar.

Translation?
What Samar can’t carry, Eastern Samar is now forced to endure.

And the roads are cracking under the pressure.

TRUCKS VS. TAXPAYERS

According to the DPWH–Eastern Samar District Engineering Office, truck traffic spiked after restrictions were placed on Calbiga Bridge. The result: overloaded 10-wheelers and trailer trucks pounding the Wright–Taft, Taft–Borongan, Borongan–Buenavista, and Buenavista–Lawaan stretches.

Add relentless rainfall to the mix — and boom.

Cratered highways.
Danger zones for motorists.
Public funds down the drain.

Gonzales isn’t mincing words. He is now exploring heavy truck limits on provincial highway sections before the damage becomes irreversible.

Because here’s the hard truth:
Road rehabilitation costs billions. Preventive regulation costs political will.

NO WEIGHBRIDGES, NO CONTROL

But here’s the catch.

There are no weighbridges in Taft, Arteche, and Lawaan.

No scales.
No enforcement teeth.
No accurate monitoring.

Eastern Samar DEO OIC District Engineer Jehela Roxas admits that coordination with LGUs and the Department of Transportation is critical. Without it, truck restrictions are just talk.

Gonzales knows this. And that’s why this move isn’t just about stopping trucks — it’s about forcing systemic reform.

THIS IS NOT ANTI-BUSINESS — THIS IS PRO-PROVINCE

Let’s be clear: this isn’t a war against commerce.

Eastern Samar depends on trade, cargo movement, and inter-island logistics. But economic activity should not destroy the very infrastructure that sustains it.

If highways collapse, supply chains collapse.

And when that happens, it’s farmers, fisherfolk, students, and small businesses who suffer.

Gonzales is pushing for balance:
Protect infrastructure.
Preserve mobility.
Prevent wasteful repairs.

GONZALES’ TRACK RECORD: BUILD, PROTECT, DELIVER

This is not the first time, Cong. Sheen Gonzales has taken an aggressive infrastructure stance.

Under his leadership, Eastern Samar has seen:

• Strengthened infrastructure coordination with DPWH
• Road rehabilitation prioritization in vulnerable highway sections
• Disaster-response readiness funding amid recurring typhoons
• Support for provincial connectivity projects to sustain economic flow
• Advocacy for strategic transport planning to prevent long-term structural damage

He understands something many overlook:

Eastern Samar is a typhoon corridor.
Its roads are survival lines.

Every damaged highway is a delayed ambulance.
Every collapsed section is a stranded livelihood.

THE BIGGER FIGHT

This isn’t just about trucks.

This is about infrastructure justice.

Why should Eastern Samar shoulder the unintended consequences of a bridge restriction elsewhere?

If rerouting is necessary, then reinforcement funding must follow.

If heavy trucks must pass, then monitoring systems must be installed.

If national highways are national responsibilities, then national solutions must be funded.

DRAWING THE LINE

Gonzales’ move sends a clear message:

Eastern Samar will not be a silent absorber of damage.

The province deserves protection, planning, and policy enforcement — not patchwork repairs after the fact.

The question now is simple:

Will national agencies move fast enough before the next stretch of highway caves in?

Because roads don’t collapse overnight.

They deteriorate quietly.

Until one day, they don’t hold anymore.

And by then, it’s already too late.

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