Astra Forward Base, Iloilo City — January 24, 2024 | 6:45 AM
The sun broke over the Panay Gulf like a slow-burning torch, casting a golden sheen over the sprawling construction base set up along the coastal edge of Iloilo. Massive cranes stood at rest, their silhouettes stark against the morning sky. Containers full of prefabricated highway segments, imported rebar, and bridge-launching gantries dotted the site like quiet sentinels.
Matthew Borja stepped out of the makeshift command tent with Angel beside him, both in full field attire. His boots crunched lightly over gravel as they made their way toward a line of field engineers assembling for morning brief.
"Is this where we'll push the VisMin junction?" he asked, squinting into the sunrise.
