MANILA – The long-stalled construction of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Island Bridges Project in Western Visayas will finally be in full swing under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
During his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday afternoon, Marcos said inter-island bridges such as the PGN are included in his P8.3-trillion “Build Better More” Program.
“Twelve bridges totaling 90 kilometers will be constructed, connecting islands and areas separated by waters. The program notably includes the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge and the Panay-Guimaras Negros Island Bridges, each spanning 32 kilometers, and also the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge,” Marcos said in an address that lasted for over an hour.
Bridges connecting Panay, Guimaras and Negros Occidental were originally conceptualized during the administration of the late President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino.
“The underlying logic to our infrastructure development is economic efficiency. We are opening up all gateways to mobilize goods and services at less cost and in less time, ultimately, to drive the economy,” said Marcos.
Based on the project profile, the Iloilo/Panay-Guimaras Bridge will start in Leganes, Iloilo and end in Buenavista, Guimaras. It would be between four to seven kilometers long.
On the other hand, the Guimaras-Negros Bridge will start in San Lorenzo, Guimaras and end in Pulupandan, Negros Occidental. It would be between five to 12 kilometers long.
The PGN bridges were also promised by then President Rodrigo Roa Duterte but were shelved when the coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020.
The PGN has two components:
* 13-kilometer Panay-Guimaras bridge, or Section A
* 19.47-kilometer Guimaras-Negros bridge, or Section B
The Panay-Guimaras bridge will have a sea-crossing bridge length of 4.97 kilometers while the Guimaras-Negros bridge has 13.11 kilometers of sea-crossing bridge length.
According to Marcos, prioritizing physical connectivity under his administration’s P8.3 trillion-worth of “Build Better More” program will further spur economic vibrancy.
“Physical connectivity infrastructure such as roads, bridges, seaports, airports, and mass transport accounts for 83 percent of the program,” said Marcos.
He added: “Roads, bridges, and mass transport systems will be interconnected. This network will provide access and passage to vital and bustling economic markets, such as agriculture hubs, tourism sites, and key business districts.”
Local execs looking forward to PBBM’s assurance for WV projects
Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas, who chairs the Regional Development Council 6’s Committee on Infrastructure and Development, thanked the President for mentioning in his SONA the PGN and the Cebu-Negros-Panay interconnection in the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines grid “that will create a big impact on the lives of the people in Western Visayas in general, and the residents of Iloilo City in particular.”
He stressed that the mega bridge project has long been a dream of the Ilonggos.
“With this coming to fruition, ease of transportation, dynamic movement of goods and services, and much enhanced economic and tourism activities are assured,” he said.
Moreover, Treñas said the Cebu-Negros-Panay interconnection is also a welcome development as the Ilonggos are hoping to finally have stable energy source, transmission and distribution.
“Iloilo City, being the regional hub of Western Visayas, stands to benefit from these high impact projects. We are looking forward to their realization, as we also hope for the implementation of others projects of the national government namely, the Iloilo Airport expansion, the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project II, and improvement of our international port,” the city mayor said.
Guimaras’s Vice Gov. John Edward Gando, for his part, is glad that the President has allotted a space in his speech the matter about the PGN bridges.
“It only works to confirm that the ambitious project is indeed in the pipeline. A ray of hope for Guimarasnons. Hoping that it will be finally implemented in no time,” he added.
Meanwhile, Iloilo City Lone District’s representative and House Deputy Majority Leader Julienne Baronda commended the President for his “straightforward and candid portrayal of the state of the nation and the strides taken by his administration since ascending into office only a year ago.”
According to Baronda, Marcos accurately and vividly painted the realities and challenges faced by the Filipino people, presented boldly the goals and targets of his administration, and the decisive steps thus far taken by the government towards achieving the dreams and aspirations for a Bagong Pilipinas.
“In the face of myriad challenges confronting our country and the world at large, the President and his administration has delivered remarkably in protecting our sovereignty and securing our rightful place among the community of nations, in keeping the economy vibrant and vigorously afloat, but more importantly, in responding to the needs and providing more for our people in our collective journey towards a better way of life,” she added.
Baronda vowed to fully support the President’s legislative agenda especially those that seek to empower the weak, the helpless, the destitute and the displaced sectors of the society.
Economic rebound
President Marcis is optimistic that the country will soon experience a great rebound in tourism after recently lifting the state of national emergency due to coronavirus.
“Our tourism has always been a reliable pillar of our economic growth,” Marcos said. “Because of the reopening of the economy, and the phenomenon of ‘revenge travel’, this sector is headed for a great rebound.”
One of the country’s famous tourist attractions is the Boracay Island in Aklan province in Western Visayas. It continues to record highest tourist arrivals from outside the country after the lowering of COVID-19 alert levels.
The President also said his administration will give “special focus” on improving water security as he believes efforts to enhance water security should be “cohesive, centralized, and systematic” rather than “scattershot”.
He added that the healthcare facilities has continued to improve with the construction of several hospitals, while the education sector is also improving post-pandemic under Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Marcos also said his administration is planning to pursue some gas explorations while also continuing to assert the country’s rights on the contested West Philippine Sea.
Moreover, the President urged the Congress for the passage of new Government Procurement Law and new Government Auditing Code as well as essential tax measures./PN
