The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) announced the successful normalization of cargo and traffic flow between Leyte and Samar, marking the end of a critical congestion period caused by seven months of load restrictions on the iconic San Juanico Bridge.
As of December 29, 2025, monitoring reports confirm that the massive truck queues previously seen along the Tacloban Bypass Road and Amandayehan Port have been cleared. This recovery follows the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) decision on December 12 to increase the bridge’s load limit to 15 tons (gross vehicle weight), allowing a significant volume of commercial traffic to return to the primary highway.
When the 5-ton load limit was first imposed on May 16, 2025, it threatened to paralyze the regional supply chain. In response, PPA General Manager Jay Santiago spearheaded an emergency initiative to transform the Port of Amandayehan in Basey, Samar, into a strategic interim hub to support Tacloban Port.
To ensure the port could handle the sudden influx of heavy cargo, the PPA invested over ₱400 million from its Corporate Operating Budget. These funds were utilized for:
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Physical Port Expansion: Retrofitting berths to accommodate RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off) and Landing Craft Tank (LCT) vessels.
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Dredging Operations: Increasing navigational depth for larger vessels.
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Night-Time Safety: Installing advanced navigational aids to allow for 24-hour operations.
The interim maritime “bridge” proved vital for the region’s economic survival. Between June and November 2025:
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2,632 Shipcalls were recorded between Tacloban and Amandayehan.
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7,256 Rolling Cargoes were successfully transported.
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800 Trucks Per Day were moved via sea during peak operations under a 24-hour framework.
The project’s success was the result of a massive inter-agency effort involving MARINA, the Philippine Coast Guard, DPWH, the Tingog Partylist, and the local governments of Tacloban and Basey.
“Before the year ends, the PPA is proud to announce that our coordinated efforts have restored the flow of commerce. We have significantly reduced turnaround times for perishable goods and stabilized the economy of Eastern Visayas,” said PPA General Manager Jay Santiago. “This experience has proven that our port systems are resilient and capable of adapting to national transport emergencies.”
While the San Juanico Bridge has reopened to heavier loads, the PPA will continue to monitor the region’s maritime throughput to ensure that the logistics network remains robust against future disruptions.
