TACLOBAN CITY — The Philippine Ports Authority said the Department of Public Works and Highways altered the design of the controversial Calbayog Coastal Road Project, potentially affecting vessel access to the Calbayog Port without securing the required clearance from the agency.

PPA General Manager Jan Daniel Santiago said the bypass road project, intended to ease traffic congestion in Calbayog City’s central business district, was originally designed with an arched bridge providing a five-meter clearance from road level as it crossed a waterway. The design would have allowed unhampered passage for boats going to and from the port.

“Kaso for whatever reason, binabaan nila yung tulay ipinantay sa kalsada without considering yung waterway sa ilalim ng tulay,” Santiago told DAILY TRIBUNE. He said the issue centers on the bridge structure over the waterway.

“Ang understanding is five meters from roadway so dapat talaga naka arko hindi ka level ng road,” he added.

The PPA maintained that it did not issue a clearance for the construction of a bridge over a waterway under the Calbayog Coastal Road Project.

Efforts by this reporter to get the side of the DPWH Samar 1st District Engineering Office, including through the DPWH regional information office, were unsuccessful as of press time.

The bridge design was among the issues raised by Vince Dizon during his recent site visit to the Samar segment of the Maharlika Highway.

Dizon earlier criticized officials of the DPWH Samar 1st District Engineering Office for failing to secure a permit from the PPA before implementing the project, hinting at possible legal action against officials and personnel found negligent.

He said completion of the project has been delayed due to the lack of a height clearance from the PPA for the bridge structure.

Dizon added that the DPWH will ensure closer coordination with other government agencies so that infrastructure projects, including the Calbayog Coastal Road Project, are properly implemented and free from regulatory setbacks.

Documents obtained by DAILY TRIBUNE showed that the DPWH had coordinated with the PPA Port Management Office for Eastern Leyte and Samar, as well as the Calbayog City government, including a coordination meeting held on 27 January 2021.