TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is currently studying a proposal to allow heavy trucks to cross the San Juanico Bridge during nighttime hours.

Leyte Board Member and businessman Wilson Uy said the proposal forwarded to the DPWH seeks to permit vehicles weighing up to 30 tons to use the bridge, restricted to one lane at a time, exclusively at night.

The bridge currently allows a maximum load of 15 tons, a limit that was eased last Friday following an inspection visit by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The weight restriction had been set at a maximum of 3 tons since May after structural defects were identified.

Uy expressed optimism about the proposal’s potential impact if approved.

“If approved, this could be a big boost to our local economy — helping farmers, traders, transporters and businesses move goods more efficiently while still prioritizing safety and structural integrity of the bridge,” Uy said.

He described the move as a “balanced solution where economic recovery and public safety go hand in hand.”

Meantime, despite the recent easing of load restrictions, both the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) do not anticipate a substantial, immediate reduction in the prices of food and basic necessities.

Siali Cosares, a planning specialist at DTI-8 (Eastern Visayas), explained that transportation cost is only a small component in the final price of basic goods and services.

Dioscoro Gasatan, supervising agriculturist at the DA field office, noted that the increased load limit has already eased the transport of agricultural products, which could potentially lower the prices of inputs in the long run.

However, he cautioned that any reduction in consumer prices would be slow and more likely to impact the market during the high-demand Christmas season.

On the other hand, Mae Almonte, chief statistical specialist at the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), highlighted that the Eastern Visayas region has maintained a lower inflation rate compared to the national average, despite the load restrictions on the bridge.

PSA data shows that from May to November this year, Eastern Visayas recorded an inflation rate between negative 0.2 percent and 0.7 percent, which is lower than the 2 to 4 percent set by the Development Budget Coordination Committee.