ILOILO City – Contrary to earlier pronouncements, civil works for the bridge that will connect the islands of Panay and Guimaras will not begin this year but in July 2026.
The revised schedule was confirmed by Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas, the outgoing chairman of the Infrastructure Development Committee (IDC) of the Regional Development Council.
The Panay-Guimaras bridge is part of the mega Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Link Bridge project which, when completed, will reduce travel time between Panay, Guimaras, and Negros islands from three to four hours to just under an hour.
Treñas announced the new schedule during the 2025 First Quarter regular meeting of the IDC on Monday, March 3, his last as chairman. He shared timelines for the highly anticipated project, including the signing of a loan agreement in September 2025, the start of civil works in July 2026, and the completion and opening of the bridge by June 2028.
“Everyone has been dreaming about this project for years, even when I was still in Congress. I prepared a resolution in 2010, signed by all the congressmen from Western Visayas, asking the government to prioritize this. Now, we can finally say that this dream is coming true,” Treñas said.
The revised timeline differs from the announcement made last month where Treñas announced that the construction of the Panay-Guimaras segment of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Link Bridge would begin within the year.
This project, valued at P189 billion, is a major infrastructure initiative that aims to enhance regional connectivity through a 32-kilometer bridge connecting the islands of Panay, Guimaras, and Negros.
The PGN Link Bridge is divided into two major sections. Section A spans 13 kilometers, connecting Panay to Guimaras with a 4.97-kilometer sea-crossing bridge. Section B will connect Guimaras to Negros, featuring a 19.47-kilometer stretch, including a 13.11-kilometer sea-crossing bridge.
The project, which will traverse challenging marine terrain, will require sophisticated engineering methods to ensure its success. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is overseeing the project, with feasibility studies and detailed engineering designs already underway.
Senior Undersecretary Emil Kiram Sadain of DPWH earlier said that consultants with expertise in long-span bridges were assisting with the preparations.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board approved the supplementary feasibility study report and engineering services for the project.
The completed PGN Link Bridge is projected to be fully operational by the early 2030s. It aligns with the Philippine National Development Strategy by providing safer, faster, and more convenient inter-island transportation./PN
