ILOILO – Despite the discouraging pronouncements of two senators recently, the people of Guimaras remain hopeful that the proposed bridge linking the island province to Iloilo would push through, according to Vice Gov. John Edward Gando.
He contested Sen. Cynthia Villar’s view that Guimaras’ being not so progressive made the proposed bridge less feasible as the economic returns wouldn’t be robust enough.
“Kon magsiling si Senator Villar nga ang Guimaras is not progressive, what standard does she tell us? Indi progresibo gani indi kinahanglan (sang bridge)?…Indi bala mas mabaskug pa gid ang rason nga dapat butangan sang taytay para mag-progresibo?” said Gando.
Guimaras now is way different from what it was years ago, he asserted.
“Nag-ayo-ayo kag nag-progreso ang Guimaras,” Gando said. “Makita naton ina sa pagpaninguha sang aton mga lideres…nagsalida ang pangabuhi sang amon pumoluyo.”
Guimaras used to be a sub-province of Iloilo. In the early 1990s it was officially declared an independent province. Initially, it was deemed one of the poorest in the country.
Now, Guimaras has two strong economic drivers – tourism and export-quality mangoes. Gando said these boomed particularly during the administration of then governor Rahman Nava.
With no official pronouncement from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) yet on the fate of the proposed bridge, Gando said, “Padayun kami ‘ya nga magalaum nga madayun ini.”
In a recent virtual press conference, Villar said it was important that the connecting provinces should be “very progressive so that there will be economic returns for the (bridge) project.”
Citing a feasibility study of the DPWH, Villar said the projected economic returns of the proposed bridge were “not as best” as the other proposed infrastructure projects of the government.
“Iloilo is very progressive but Guimaras is not,” said the mother of Public Works secretary Mark Villar.
Gando, however, deemed Senator Villar’s statements as her “personal view and opinion.”
She wasn’t the spokesperson of either the DPWH or President Rodrigo Duterte, Gando stressed.
In the same virtual press conference, Ilonggo senator and Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon said the proposed bridge has not gotten off the drawing board because the Duterte administration was not prioritizing it.
The six-year Duterte administration ends in June next year.
Under the next administration, Drilon said, the project would only move if prioritized, funds are available, and if the feasibility and engineering studies are favorable.
In February this year, Secretary Villar announced they already completed the prefeasibility study for the proposed Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) bridges but he refused to provide a time line.
PGN bridges are divided into two sections: the 13-km Panay-Guimaras Bridge and the 19.47-km Guimaras-Negros Bridge. Linking the three major islands in Western Visayas, the project is seen to improve the transport of agricultural products that can lead to inclusive growth./PN
