Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Wednesday pledged the city government’s full support for the upcoming rehabilitation of the Lambingan Bridge, but he reminded contractors to pay their taxes to the city.

Speaking at a meeting with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Domagoso said the city would fully back the project, part of the Metro Manila Priority Bridges Seismic Improvement Project.

“Just pay your obligations to the city under our tax code,” he told the DPWH representatives. “It’s a very miniscule number. You cannot get away with the tax code, not even the president and me. That’s for the contractor, not the government.”

Domagoso expressed frustration that many projects in the past three years had not been properly coordinated with local agencies, but he welcomed the improved communication for the bridge project.

“I’m just happy that nowadays, things are being put into the right perspective,” he said. “In return, we are being supportive to the development. We want to fix it so people are safe.”

The mayor assured the DPWH that all necessary permits, inter-agency coordination, and traffic management support would be provided.

“You have 100 percent full support of the city,” he said. “I just want you to finish.”

DPWH officials said the work on the Lambingan Bridge is expected to take 34 months to complete. Domagoso acknowledged that residents of Punta, Sta. Ana and surrounding communities would face challenges, but he emphasized the long-term safety benefits.

“We’re going to inform the community that these things will be challenging for the next 34 months of our lives, but it’s for the safety of everyone,” he said.

Domagoso said temporary inconvenience is an investment in future resilience. “We, the citizens, have to pay the price and endure the difficulty on the roads now, but our children will benefit later on.”