ILOILO City – Sen. Imee Marcos is confident that the proposed Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridge will be realized within the next administration.
“There are many others (infrastructure projects) but the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridge and Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge I can very categorically and committedly say these are not promises,” said Marcos whose brother, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., is running for president.
In a press conference in Anilao, Iloilo yesterday, Marcos said the PGN bridge project is already in the advanced stage of planning.
“The next administration must finish this. There can be no excuses na hindi ito matapos,” she said.
The proposed project has two components. These are the 13-kilometer Panay-Guimaras or Section A that will have a sea-crossing bridge length of 4.97 kilometers; and the Guimaras-Negros or Section B or with a total length of 19.47 kilometers including a sea-crossing bridge length of 13.11 kilometers.
The supplementary feasibility study report and engineering service provision for the project was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board’s Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee in August 2021.
Senatorial aspirant and former Public Works secretary Mark Villar previously vowed to push for the completion of the mega bridge project.
Senator Marcos was in Iloilo for series of activities. One of these was the distribution of cash assistance to the victims of floods in Banate town.
Marcos said they were able to expedite the release of the cash assistance of over P10 million from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
“I am hoping we can add some more in terms of soft assistance because many houses were destroyed,” she said./PN
