ILOILO City — Construction of the Panay-Guimaras Bridge will no longer begin this year as earlier planned, with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) resetting the start of civil works to the fourth quarter of 2027 due to unresolved right-of-way concerns and revisions in project alignment.
DPWH Region 6 director Engr. Denise Maria Ayag confirmed the delay, saying adjustments to the project plan — including the finalization of alignment and settlement of land use and right-of-way issues — forced the agency to move the timeline for Section A (Panay–Guimaras) of the Panay–Guimaras–Negros Island Bridges Project.
Once completed, the Panay–Guimaras–Negros (PGN) Link Bridge will physically connect the three islands through two major sections: a 13-kilometer Panay–Guimaras segment featuring a 4.97-kilometer sea-crossing bridge, and a 19.47-kilometer Guimaras–Negros segment with a 13.11-kilometer span.
Travel time between the islands — currently taking up to four hours by sea transport — is expected to drop to less than one hour, significantly boosting trade, tourism, and mobility across Western Visayas.
About three weeks ago, Ayag said, officials from DPWH-6 met with representatives from the DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) and project consultants to discuss updates on the mega-bridge initiative. During the meeting, the DPWH Central Office informed them that the timeline had been adjusted due to revisions in the project plan and other technical considerations.
Despite the delay, Ayag assured the public that the project will proceed, maintaining the original sequence of construction — with the Panay–Guimaras section to be built first, followed by the Guimaras–Negros segment.
Ayag also confirmed that the detailed engineering design (DED) for the project has already been completed by consultants led by Yooshin Engineering Corporation, in joint venture with South Korean firms Kyong-Ho Engineering and Architects Co. Ltd., Dohwa Engineering Co. Ltd., Soosung Engineering Co. Ltd., and Dasan Consultants Co. Ltd.
Earlier, the DPWH-UPMO targeted the start of civil works for Section A (Panay–Guimaras) before the end of this year to ensure completion before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. steps down from office in 2028.
To support the massive infrastructure undertaking, the DPWH Central Office allocated P443.5 million in the 2026 national budget as government counterpart funding for the project.
Budget documents show that P193.34 million is earmarked for overall project requirements, P171.23 million for Section A (Panay–Guimaras), and P78.94 million for Section B (Guimaras–Negros).
The PGN Link Bridge remains one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects outside Luzon and a flagship undertaking under the government’s national development strategy./PN