ILOILO City – The highly debated plan to build a bridge linking Boracay Island to mainland Malay in Aklan province is reportedly no longer moving forward after San Miguel Holdings Corp. supposedly withdrew from the project amid widespread backlash.
Speaking over Radyo Todo Aklan on May 27, Aklan’s Gov. Joen Miraflores and 2nd District’s Cong. Joeben Miraflores claimed that business tycoon Ramon Ang personally informed them on May 13 that the company had decided to discontinue the Boracay Bridge proposal because of the intense opposition surrounding it.
The officials said the matter came up during a luncheon meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Roxas City, where concerns regarding the controversial infrastructure project were reportedly raised.
They added that Ang later met with them together with Cong. Jess Marquez and Provincial Board Member Boy Quimpo, during which the businessman allegedly said the firm would instead prioritize the completion of the airport passenger terminal project.
The proposed bridge project had sparked criticism from environmental groups, tourism stakeholders, and several local leaders who feared it could threaten the island’s ecological balance and further increase development pressures on Boracay.
Supporters of the proposal, however, had argued that the bridge would improve transport access and emergency mobility between the resort island and the mainland.
Earlier reports stated that the Department of Public Works and Highways had awarded the nearly P7.8-billion bridge project to San Miguel Holdings Corp. in March 2026 under a finance-design-build-operate-maintain arrangement./PN
