GUIMARAS – The proposed Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) mega bridge project is likely to spawn opportunities for this island province to become the logistics hub of Western Visayas or even the whole country.
“We identify Guimaras as a seaport province. The proposed bridges will make possible for Guimaras to be a seaport province, a logistics hub,” said Gov. JC Rahman Nava on the sidelines of the Guimaras Dragon Fruit Festival press conference recently.
The province’s coasts have depth, especially on the western side, making them ideal sites for seaports, he pointed out.
The governor is confident that the mega bridge project will push through under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“I think it is one of the priorities of the President. We are hopeful that civil works will commence by 2024,” said Nava.
He and Guimaras’ Cong. Lucille Nava recently met with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan and Undersecretary Emil Sadain for an update about the project.
The governor confirmed that the P900 million funding for the detailed engineering design (DED) for Iloilo (Panay)-Guimaras segment is already there.
Former senator Franklin Drilon earlier disclosed that the South Korean government, through the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank), is considering providing a loan only for the Panay-Guimaras segment of the proposed PGN mega bridge project.
“There are no possible lenders (at the moment) for the Guimaras-Negros (bridge) because that is the longer version so mas daku ang (fund) kinahanglan,” disclosed Drilon.
A bridge connecting Panay and Guimaras has been on the drawing board for decades but never materialized due to funding issues.
Then tragedy struck – a motorbanca capsized and 31 people crossing the Iloilo Strait drowned in August 2019 – highlighting the necessity of the bridge project.
Calls for it became insistent because it became clear that Iloilo-Guimaras boat trips were at the mercy of the weather and this endangered the lives of travelers.
The lack of a bridge connecting the island of Guimaras to Panay deterred its economy, too, from reaching its full potential.
The PGN bridge project has two components. These are the following:
* 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.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in Region 6 expressed optimism that the PGN bridge’s construction will begin in two years’ time.
According to Drilon on Friday, Sept 16, however, the feasibility study for the proposed bridge had been revised.
An earlier study was conducted by the Chinese government because, initially, it was supposed to fund the project. But it eventually backed out.
“So the government had to look for a new funder. It was able to discuss and secure an agreement with the Korean Eximbank,” said Drilon.
This change in project financier necessitated a new feasibility study.
Incidentally, the Korean Eximbank is also the one funding the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project Stage II. The construction of which is currently ongoing in Calinog, Iloilo.
According to Drilon, the new feasibility study for the PGN bridge project has been completed and by December they should be able to come up with a consultant who will do the DED./PN
