TACLOBAN CITY — The long-proposed plan to connect Luzon and the Visayas through either an undersea tunnel or a bridge is set to take its first concrete step next year, following the inclusion of funding for a feasibility study in the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to sign the 2026 national budget into law in the first week of January.

House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan said the bicameral committee approved a P130 million allocation for the feasibility study of the Luzon–Visayas fixed link, which is envisioned to connect Matnog to Allen.

Libanan said the urgency of the project was once again underscored by severe congestion at the Port of Matnog during the recent Christmas and New Year travel rush, when the roll-on/roll-off ferry system was overwhelmed, forcing passengers and vehicles to endure long queues and extended waiting times.

“The bottleneck at Matnog is not just an inconvenience — it is a structural weakness in our national transport network. Every holiday season, the same problem repeats itself, disrupting mobility, trade, and emergency access between Luzon and the Visayas,” he said.

Libanan added that the proposed fixed link, spanning roughly 28 kilometers across the San Bernardino Strait, is intended to provide a permanent connection that would ensure uninterrupted movement of people and goods, unlike the current ferry system that is often disrupted by adverse weather conditions.

Possible foreign-assisted funding

Libanan said the Luzon–Visayas fixed link may be pursued as a foreign-assisted project through official development assistance from the Japanese government or a loan facility from the Asian Development Bank, following models such as the Metro Manila Subway and Cebu’s Marcelo Fernan Bridge.

“We are counting on foreign development partners such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help finance and oversee the tunnel or bridge project to insulate it from political interference and corruption,” Libanan said.

He said adopting the foreign-assisted project model would ensure discipline, transparency, and strict donor oversight.

“FAPs are widely regarded as among the cleanest forms of infrastructure spending. The presence of international donors creates a double layer of accountability. Every peso is tracked, every contract is scrutinized, and every delay or deviation is questioned,” Libanan said.

Libanan added that foreign-assisted projects are subject to continuous monitoring by international consultants and external auditors with zero tolerance for irregularities.