Environmentalists urge scrapping of PGN Bridge

Environmental groups are uniting to call for the complete scrapping of the P189-billion Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Bridge, citing serious environmental concerns and the current lack of funding for the project.

This call follows the Korean government’s decision to halt a 700-billion won (around P28.7 billion) loan due to “potential for corruption,” amid widespread allegations involving the government’s flood control and other infrastructure projects.

The Earth Island Institute Asia Pacific urged the Philippine government to permanently cancel the PGN Bridge project and stop seeking alternative funding sources.

Trixie Concepcion, regional director of Earth Island Institute Asia Pacific, stressed that public health funds should never be risked to finance megaprojects that displace communities and destroy irreplaceable ecosystems.

During the Supreme Court oral arguments in February 2025, Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier questioned why PhilHealth funds were tapped for the PGN Bridge when the project was already supported by a P174.49-billion loan from Korea’s Export-Import Bank.

Concepcion said, “The suspension of this loan is a chance to permanently end the PGN Bridge project and protect the Iloilo-Guimaras Straits — a critical habitat.”

Environmentalists worry that, with the Korean loan suspended, the government might seek other funding sources and push the project forward regardless.

The Iloilo-Guimaras Straits, which connect Panay, Guimaras and Negros, are recognized as an Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) and home to the country’s last remaining Irrawaddy dolphins — only about 10 to 13 individuals remain.

The group warned, “Construction activities like pile driving, dredging, and heavy vessel traffic could drive this dolphin population to extinction, while also damaging mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrass beds that support fisheries producing around 50,000 metric tons annually.”

They’re calling for the Iloilo-Guimaras Straits to be immediately declared a Critical Habitat, offering legal protection to its unique marine biodiversity — including the critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphins, dugongs, sea turtles, and the Philippine Duck.

The group also emphasizes the need for stronger science-based fisheries management, restoration of mangroves and seagrass beds, and ongoing livelihood support for fisherfolk who depend on the straits’ resources.