Agas-Agas Bridge Zipline offers “Superman” fly experience

The Agas-Agas Bridge in Southern Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY -- The province of Southern Leyte, the home of the country’s tallest Agas-Agas Bridge, is now offering another man-made tourist attraction for everyone who has brave souls.

In last friday's opening, April 15, 2011, the LGU officially launched its “Agas-Agas Bridge Zipline Adventure” letting everyone experience soaring at a high speed, flying by wire like Superman does in his movies. This was first introduced by the local officials last August 9, 2009.

Newsmen from all over the region, including some known tour operators were treated by the organizers for a day free rides with a briefing that on this day, the province will be known as the central of "Adventure Destination in Eastern Visayas."

Constructed between two mountains, the Agas-Agas Bridge Zipline or locally known as “Zipline Leyte” offers an extra-ordinary experience on cable rides that traverse the Mahaplag-Sogod section of the Tacloban-Liloan Road giving a rider full view of the breathtaking panorama and complete refreshing on the bridge’s sky-scraping height.

The organizer led by Governor Damian Mercado are hopeful that last Fridays’s opening would bring in more tourists to witness its opening as well as tested its unique features.

The potential of the bridge, which provides a significant link to motorists traveling from Luzon to Mindanao, was noted when it was inaugurated two years ago and endorsed it by the DPWH to turn it into a haven for sports enthusiasts who are into bungee jumping, paramotor, downhill skateboarding and zipline rappelling and other extreme sports.

The bridge which is constructed through the Philippine-Japan Highway Loan Project has a natural tourist attraction and the construction is very modern.

Since the bridge is situated in a mountainous area, it is regularly reported that movements of loose soil or landslides take place whenever it rains heavily, much more when typhoon strikes the province.

Thus, the viaduct was constructed in 2006 primarily to help motorists avoid the mountainous sections that are prone to landslides and road slips and prevent life and property losses.

According to a DPWH official, this bridge is by far the tallest pier or column that the government has constructed. It involves the construction of a 350 linear meter bridge, with a mix of steel and concrete, supported by two piers from the ground and has a height of 292 feet above ground.

Meanwhile, zip-lines in the country are fast drawing a big crowd of action and adventure seekers from all over the world.  The extraordinary thrill of being suspended on a cable at considerable heights or the joy of zipping through the woods at a high speed makes zip-lines an action-packed activity.

The zipline in Southern Leyte is the third zipline attractions in Eastern Visayas. Recently, the Caluwayan Island Resort in Marabut Samar and the Leyte Park Resort in Tacloban City officially offered a zipline adventures to its adventure seeking clients.

Known as a flying fox, foefie slide, zip wire, aerial runway, or aerial rope slide, a zip-line consists of a pulley suspended on a cable mounted on an incline. It is designed to enable a user propelled by gravity to traverse from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable, usually made of stainless steel, by holding on or attaching to the freely moving pulley. Zip-lines are used in varied ways, and come in various forms.

While others used it as a means of amusement and entertainment, others showcase zip-lines as an adventure activity option.  Accessing remote areas, such as a rainforest canopy would require longer and higher rides.  You may not know it, but in some malls in the country, children’s recreation centers make use of small, indoor zip-lines. (Ricky Bautista)