President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has issued a firm directive to all agencies involved in the rehabilitation of the iconic San Juanico Bridge, mandating its reopening to heavy vehicles weighing up to 12 tons by December of this year. The President underscored his commitment to restoring full functionality to the vital connector between Leyte and Samar, warning officials that failure to meet the deadline would result in their resignations being accepted.
In his latest podcast interview aired Friday, President Marcos stated, “Our schedule is that by December, before the end of the year, vehicles up to 12 tons should be able to use it.” He then added a stark warning to the implementing agencies: “That’s a test. I said if you don’t finish that, I will accept your resignation.”
The San Juanico Bridge has been closed to all vehicles exceeding 3 tons since May to facilitate ongoing rehabilitation work. President Marcos acknowledged the severe hardships faced by residents, businesses, truck drivers, and suppliers due to the bridge’s decades-long neglect and lack of proper maintenance.
“Our engineers were surprised. They said, ‘this is already serious.’ Because maintenance has not been done for the past few decades,” the President revealed, noting discrepancies in records. “I asked why? Wasn’t there a record? There was a record. All job orders completed. But look, it’s all rust. They didn’t do it.” This observation was corroborated by local residents who confirmed the absence of maintenance work.
During his visit to the Samar port on June 11, President Marcos personally engaged with affected residents, truck drivers, and suppliers. As an emergency measure to mitigate the impact, he ordered the implementation of a roll-on/roll-off (RORO) cargo ferry system to reroute heavy vehicles, prioritizing those transporting perishable goods.
Expressing his deep empathy for those affected, President Marcos conveyed: “Sorry this happened, and I know what you are experiencing, what transport operators are experiencing, what our business owners are experiencing. So you can expect that we are truly rushing to fix this immediately. And we’ll make sure that you will be safe. We will bring the services of San Juanico back to normal.”
This decisive action highlights the administration’s resolve to address critical infrastructure issues and ensure the safety and economic well-being of communities dependent on key transportation arteries like the San Juanico Bridge.
