The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has committed P500 million to fund a feasibility study for the proposed 20-kilometer Sorsogon-Samar Transport Crossing (SSTC) over the San Bernardino Strait, lawmakers said.

The commitment was disclosed during House plenary deliberations on the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) 2027 budget.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Romeo Momo Sr. relayed the information from DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon while responding to questions on the SSTC feasibility study during the 24 September plenary debates.

Momo said the ADB funding would augment the P130 million initially appropriated by Congress for the study.

House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, the project’s main proponent along with lawmakers from Eastern Visayas, welcomed the ADB’s decision.

“We are very pleased that the ADB has decided to come on board the Sorsogon-Samar Transport Crossing project at this early stage,” Libanan said.

Reliable partners

“We never doubted the readiness of international development partners to support the project, considering its exceptionally high economic rate of return (ERR),” he added.

The proposed SSTC seeks to establish a permanent road link between Matnog, Sorsogon, and Allen, Northern Samar, replacing the ferry-dependent connection that currently serves the route.

The Matnog-Allen corridor is a vital transport link for goods moving between Luzon and Mindanao but remains vulnerable to port congestion and disruptions caused by bad weather.

The proposed crossing is expected to cut travel time between Matnog and Allen to about 20 minutes, from roughly 2.5 hours under favorable weather conditions using the existing roll-on/roll-off ferry system.

Libanan said the project would require extensive marine, bathymetric, geological and geotechnical studies because of its technical complexity and scale.

The feasibility study would examine oceanographic conditions, seismic risks, navigation, environmental and social impacts, and the effects of typhoons and other extreme weather events.

The project could consist of three long-span bridges linking Allen to San Antonio, San Antonio to Capul and Capul to Matnog. Other options include a submerged floating tunnel and a deep-sea tunnel.