President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. conducted an inspection of the Camalaniugan Bridge on Tuesday as construction of the structure nears completion.

Marcos couldn’t help but express his awe at the bridge, calling it “one of the most beautiful bridges that we have created in the Philippines.”

“I’m happy to note that it was done well in time and it was done properly,” he said.

“The design was done locally. Even though it looks like one of those bridges in other countries, this is truly ours,” he added.

The Camalaniugan Bridge primarily aims to provide an alternate route to the Magapit Suspension Bridge, the only bridge that crosses the Cagayan River in northern Cagayan.

Construction began in May 2020, and as of 30 September, 99 percent of the civil works had been accomplished.

The Chief Executive commended the efforts of local executives who monitored the progress of the project amid the existence of ghost projects in the country.

“Here in Cagayan, thank you — to our mayors, to our chief executives. Gov. Egay Aglipay is here. They are monitoring these big projects carefully so that it cannot be said that there are problems, that they are ghost projects, that they are not completed, those problems that we see in other projects sometimes,” he said.

“So it is exciting to see what the true capacity of the government is if it really makes sure that every cent goes to the right place,” he added.

Marcos said the coordination between local officials and the Department of Public Works and Highways ensures that public funds go to the right projects and are used well.

Meanwhile, the President looks forward to the bridge opening by December, just in time for Christmas. He said he expects thousands of vehicles.