THE COST OF rehabilitating the 52-year old San Juanico Bridge, once the pride of Samar-Leyte built during the term of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., has ballooned from P800 million to P7 billion.
According to Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has a lot of explaining to do amid doubt on the bridge’s condition.
The mayor is the cousin of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez who has earlier been tagged as the “mastermind” behind the flood control scandal.
SMELLS FISHY
Among issues raised by Mayor Romualdez is the bloated cost of rehabilitation — and why the tonnage limit has been set at three ton axle load without any consultation with the local government unit and with the people.
Romualdez said he smells there is corruption in rehabilitating the structure, now being undertaken by the beleaguered DPWH, an agency prominent for ghost, substandard, overpriced flood control projects.
By his own admission, the local chief executive said that the bridge connecting Samar and Leyte island provinces crossing over the San Juanico Strait, plays an essential role in the local economy.
The bridge is the only permanent land link between the islands of Leyte and Samar, fostering economic growth, facilitating commerce, improving mobility for residents, and supporting the region’s vital tourism industry.
BRIDGE UP-CLOSE
San Juanico Bridge is considered the Philippines third longest over seawater, after the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway and the Panguil Bay Bridge.
It has 43 steel spans with the primary span measuring 192 m (630 ft). The bridge’s abutments are founded on steel H-piles while its piers are rock seated pedestals built using the Prepakt method, having single cylindrical shafts and tapered cantilevered copings.
San Juanico bridge is part of the Pan Philippine Highway or Maharlika Highway, a network of roads, bridges, and sea routes that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. It was constructed in 1965 to serve as the country’s backbone of transportation.
QUESTIONS RAISED
Romualdez is asking for a detailed clarification on its condition as there could be corruption in the rehabilitation, citing a huge jump in the rehab cost — from P800 million to a staggering P7 billion.
“There is something going on na hindi kanais-nais na corruption at magkano ba talaga,” he asked as he pushed for a full disclosure on its real state and why the three-ton limit without sufficient notice or explanation, reported the Philippine Star on Wednesday.
He also wants to know who conducted the feasibility study that recommended such a weight limit last May and why the public was not informed.
“Is the bridge really defective? How long would the rehabilitation take? Who conducted the study? Why was everything seemingly so sudden and we were given 48 hours only to close the bridge?” Romualdez asked.
NO EXPLANATION
He likewise took a swipe at the DPWH for not providing clear information on the condition of the bridge and the basis for the weight limitation. He said the reported defects were not new since 20 years ago, the bridge underwent repair and the public was given sufficient time to prepare.
He said experts should be tapped to look into the bridge to determine the real cost of the rehabilitation and how it would be done.
Aside from the three-ton weight limit, the rehabilitation banned pedestrians from crossing the bridge but would be ferried by light vehicles. RORO (roll on roll off) routes were used as alternatives.
The partial closure prompted the declaration of states of emergency in Samar on May 20, and in Tacloban on May 29, and caused fuel shortages in parts of Samar.
LONGER BRIDGE
On May 21, then DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan announced plans to build a longer bridge measuring 2.6 kilometers near the San Juanico Bridge to be funded by an ODA from Japan.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council estimated the repairs at P7 billion, while monthly economic losses from its partial closure could reach up to P600 million.
The President on June 5, declared a state of calamity in Eastern Visayas because of the repairs. The bridge is slated to reopen by December 2025.
Nicknamed the “Bridge of Love,” San Juanico is considered a major tourist destination for Tacloban residents. Tourists riding buses and jeepneys are allowed to alight in the middle of the bridge. Group tours are also organized. Boat tours have also been organized to give tourists a view of the bridge while at sea.