TANGUB, Misamis Occidental — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday graced the inauguration of the Panguil Bay Bridge connecting Tangub City in Misamis Occidental and Tubod municipality in Lanao del Norte.

Considered the longest sea-crossing bridge in Mindanao, it will reduce travel time between the two points from 2.5 hours to only seven minutes and facilitate 24/7 the mobility of people, goods, and services.

The 3.17-kilometer two-lane bridge is expected to improve the transport systems linking the region’s coastal areas and propel economic growth in the surrounding areas of Northern Mindanao.

The project was funded through a loan agreement between the Philippine government and the Korean Export-Import Bank (Korea Eximbank).

In his speech, Marcos mentioned the government’s struggles since the pre-feasibility study for the project was initiated in 1998.

“From the 1998 pre-feasibility study conducted on the bridge to the moment that we broke ground in 2018, this bridge encountered very many challenges,” he said.

At the height of the Covid pandemic, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had to recalibrate the plans for the construction of the bridge.

“We do not get intimidated or discouraged by obstacles that are put in our way. We worked harder, pushed harder, [and] never lost sight of why we are building this bridge,” the President said.

Marcos said there are 21 ongoing big-ticket projects under the Economic Development Cooperation Fund of Korea.

“[This] is part of all our development programs and all our aspirations for making our people live in a much safer, much more efficient, and much more helpful lifestyle,” he added.

Previously, the San Juanico Bridge which connects the islands of Samar and Leyte across the San Juanico Strait held the distinction of being the longest sea-crossing bridge in the country.

During the inauguration, the President touted the now longest sea-crossing bridge as seen to improve the economy and tourism in the entire Northern Mindanao.

“The bridge connects two provinces, and more importantly, we all know the increased economic activity is going to be a very important development and building block for both provinces and for the entire island of Mindanao,” Marcos said.

“But more than just a physical bridge, we are connecting the dreams and aspirations of the people of Lanao del Norte and of Misamis Occidental,” he added.

The bridge project started with a pre-feasibility study in 1998, followed by several feasibility assessments and a comprehensive business case study meant to secure the approval of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board in May 2015.

Since then, the government has reinforced its commitment to create a transformative infrastructure initiative to connect the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental.

Stringent, careful planning

The Department of Public Works and Highways said the project went through stringent and careful planning, multiple approvals, and adjustments until it reached the procurement phase in 2018, with bids evaluated and contracts signed in November 2019.

DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan cited the significant contributions of the project. Bonoan also noted that the landmark infrastructure was meticulously designed using extensive geotechnical surveys.

He noted that the bridge was constructed using advanced Korean bridge technology, such as reverse circulation drilling on barges to create boreholes and the launching of thick permanent steel casings using revolving crane barges and vibro pile hammers.

The bridge features 54 board piles for 32 piers, ensuring a solid foundation capable of supporting the megastructure that carries two-lane two-way traffic with a carriageway width of 13 meters.

Bonoan said the bridge would be open to all kinds of vehicles. “This is designed for all kinds of traffic,” he noted.

However, Bonoan lamented that the government is studying the implementation of toll fees at the entry and exit points of the bridge.

“Wala. Wala pa. (No. Not yet.) But this is a long bridge that needs maintenance,” Bonoan said when asked if tolls would be imposed.

“We have not finalized anything yet at this point in time. Let’s see if there’s really a need for it, to sustain the natural stability and the maintenance of the bridge. There will be consensus on how we going to do it,” he said.

Bonoan said DPWH-Northern Mindanao (Region 10) personnel will be deployed to man the bridge in the meantime. He also noted the plan to create a command center involving the DPWH and the local governments concerned to ensure the security and safety of people traversing the bridge.

“We have discussed that with the local governments, both with Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte. For the time being, we will help each other monitor the security. As this is a new bridge, we expect tourists so we have to ensure their security,” he added.

Meanwhile, Bonoan assured that the bridge is designed to stand an intensity-8 earthquake.

The bridge has a more than 50-year life span, he added.

The bridge includes a 360-meter approach road leading to a 1,020-meter approach on the Tangub City side, alongside a 569-meter approach road connecting to a 900-meter approach bridge on the Tubod side.

Both approaches were built using pre-stressed concrete box girders through an incremental launching method.

The bridge is touted as a world-class design that features an extra-dosed main bridge, with a 320-meter central span supported by two pylons standing 20 meters tall, anchored by six cable stays, and complemented by a lighting system, providing structural support and enhancing bridge aesthetics and safety during nighttime travel.

Game changer

Under the Marcos administration’s “Build Better More,” Bonoan said the completion of the Panguil Bay Bridge marks a new era in Philippine infrastructure development.

“It is a game-changer, significantly reducing travel time between Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte to just 7 minutes from 2 to 2 and a half hours via roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) vessels from Ozamiz to Mucas in Lanao del Norte or circuitous routes via Tangub-Molave-Tubod or Tangub-Kapatagan- Tubod with a distance of over 100 kilometers,” he said.

Further, Marcos said the 3.17-kilometer bridge project serves as “evidence” of South Korea’s increasing number of its funded projects in the Philippines.

“To that end, I want to acknowledge our partners in the Korean government and the Korean Exim Bank. Thank you very much. Your unwavering support has been instrumental in turning this dream into a reality,” the President said.

NEDA previously tagged the Panguil Bay Bridge as a problematic infrastructure flagship project (IFP) due to funding challenges, which primarily caused the construction delays.

In June this year, the NEDA board, chaired by President Marcos, approved the P650.89-million increase in total project cost for the construction of the bridge — from P7.38 billion it was increased to P8.03 billion.