Ferries scale back after bridge
(FILE) IMPROVEMENTS at the newly opened Port of Amandayehan in Basey, Samar, are in place and unhampered, according to the Philippine Ports Authority on Wednesday. The said port serves as an alternative route after the San Juanico Bridge shut down for heavy trucks last month.
TACLOBAN CITY — Ferry boats that once helped trucks and heavy vehicles bypass San Juanico Bridge are now pulling back from their Tacloban route, returning to their original schedules.
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said three shipping companies — GT Express, LCT Aldain Dowey of Sta. Clara Shipping, and LCT Edison of Roble Shipping — have either left or plan to leave the Amandayehan-Tacloban route. The move comes after the bridge’s maximum load limits were raised to 15 tons during the day and 30 tons at night (11 p.m.–5 a.m.).
GT Express ended operations on the route last 20 December 2025, returning to its approved Matnog–Allen route. That leaves only LCT Felice 1 of VS Grand Ferries servicing the Tacloban-Amandayehan corridor.
The Amandayehan port in Basey, Samar — a small port once reserved for fishing boats and small barges — played a crucial role after the Department of Public Works and Highways imposed a strict 3-ton load limit on the iconic bridge on 16 May 2025.
The sudden restriction caused a major logistics bottleneck, leaving trucks and wing vans stuck on both sides of the bridge and prompting the government to find an alternative route for heavy vehicles.
To address the crisis, the PPA allocated P400 million from its Corporate Operating Budget to upgrade the port. This included P200 million for port expansion to accommodate larger RoRo and Landing Craft Tank (LCT) vessels, P100 million for dredging to improve port depth and vessel maneuverability, and P100 million for installing 14 navigational buoys to enhance maritime safety, especially at night or during bad weather.