Cross on green

This is the pedestrian bridge that crosses Katipunan Avenue from Miriam College, which is exclusively for women from grade school to college. Like its neighbor, Ateneo de Manila University, the college keeps a security guard on or near the bridge for the safety of its students. The footbridge is basically of the same design as the one in front of the Ateneo a kilometer away which I posted last month, except that it doesn't have a roof. I don't know if it was done on purpose, but the bridge's green paint happily matches Miriam's school color.

Bridges around the world: Sunday Bridges

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There's no rhyme or reason in the design of Metro Manila's footbridges. Some are made of metal and some of concrete, some are pre-fabricated and others are built on the spot, some are roofed and some not, and most have the yickiest paint colors I have ever seen. This is a relatively decent-looking bridge and is one of two which crosses Katipunan Avenue from the Ateneo de Manila University. It is usually free of graffiti because university personnel immediately paint them over—the school doesn't bother waiting for the barangay, city or the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority because they'll take forever. An attempt to prettify the bridge with plant boxes is only partially successful. Several years ago, a big row between the university and one of those government units (I don't remember which) ensued over the government's plan to lease billboard space on the bridge. The university argued that a billboard would hide pedestrians (mostly students) from view and may compromise their safety. The university won and the billboard wasn't installed, but the frame, which was already built, was never dismantled. If you look closely, you can still see it on the left side. In the next two days, I'll show you the two stores at the end of the bridge.

Bridges around the world: Sunday Bridges

Finally!

I first posted a photo of this tiny blue and white bridge in the Loyola Heights campus of the Ateneo de Manila University for my 100th post way back in 2008. After two years, I finally took the time to cross it and find out if the greenhouse from my college days is still there. Though I've always remembered this bridge as being blue and white, I seem to remember that it had wooden floorboards back then. The sheet of metal that serves as its current flooring is so rusty that I almost didn't want to walk over it, for fear that it wouldn't be able to bear my weight. Curiosity won over safety. You'll have to come back tomorrow to find out what's on the other side, but I guess that it's only right to warn you that I was mighty disappointed. Oh well. At least the itch has been scratched and I also finally have a bridge for Louis' Sunday Bridges. Yay!

Bridges around the world: Sunday Bridges

I've blue and white, and Louis' Golden Gate Bridge is red—perfect for today. Happy 4th of July to all my American friends! Here, we celebrate it as Filipino-American Friendship Day.