Matnog-Allen bridge project secures P100-M feasibility grant

BORONGAN CITY — The House of Representatives is set to allocate P100 million for a comprehensive feasibility study on the construction of a bridge linking Matnog, Sorsogon, to Allen, Northern Samar.

House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan disclosed that he has secured commitments from Speaker Martin Romualdez and House Appropriations Chair Zaldy Co to include P100 million in the 2025 budget for the bridge’s feasibility study.

“If proven feasible with current technology, we aim to commence construction during the current administration,” Libanan state.

He emphasized that following the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge and the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges, the bridges connecting Matnog-Allen and Liloan, Southern Leyte to Lipata in Surigao should be prioritized as part of the mega-bridge projects under the Marcos administration.

Last year, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) central office commissioned the Infrastructure Development Institute of Japan to evaluate proposed long-span bridge projects linking Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

‘If proven feasible with current technology, we aim to commence construction during the current administration.’

The pre-feasibility study encompasses the Luzon-Samar-Leyte-Mindanao Linkage Project, which aims to improve connectivity between Luzon and other parts of Visayas and Mindanao, while also addressing issues such as stranded travelers during weather disturbances and port congestion during peak seasons.

Earlier, the Regional Development Council in Eastern Visayas passed a resolution supporting a second feasibility study for the Matnog-Allen bridge.

Meylene Rosales, regional director of the National Economic Development Authority, noted that a previous DPWH study deemed the project unfeasible due to distance and technological constraints.

“The resolution proposes a new feasibility study using alternative technologies,” Rosales stated. She emphasized that bridging Luzon to Mindanao would benefit not only Eastern Visayas but the entire nation.

“Eastern Visayas is crucial to the nation’s connectivity. We sit at a strategic juncture, being the only land passage from Luzon to Mindanao,” she explained.