President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. gave a December deadline for the rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge, warning government agency heads to restore partial truck access before the end of the year or submit their resignations.
“If you don’t finish this on time, I’ll accept your resignation,” President Marcos said in a podcast interview, calling the deadline a “test” for those involved in the rehabilitation effort.
The iconic bridge, which connects the islands of Leyte and Samar, has been undergoing major repairs that have severely disrupted supply routes and affected thousands of motorists and businesses in the neighboring regions.
As the longest bridge in the Philippines over water, it is a vital link in the country’s transport network, handling over 1,400 trucks daily under normal conditions.
Amid the delays, President Marcos ordered the Philippine Coast Guard to prioritize the transport of perishable goods, which have been spoiling due to shipping backlogs of up to five days.
“This isn’t just a regional issue anymore,” President Marcos said, citing complaints from businesses as far south as Mindanao.
Currently, only private vehicles are allowed to cross the bridge, forcing cargo trucks to reroute via roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferries.
Mr. Marcos said the government aims to restore access to trucks weighing up to 12 tons by year-end as part of efforts to ease logistical bottlenecks caused by the bridge’s limited capacity.
He also revealed that years of neglected maintenance led to the current condition of the bridge, despite previous records claiming completed repairs.
“Our engineers were shocked. It turns out the maintenance work wasn’t actually done,” the President said.
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro fired back at Senator Imee Marcos for criticizing the government’s efforts to rehabilitate the San Juanico Bridge.
The senator and presidential sister even remarked: “Sana ako na lang nag-presidente.” (“I should have just run for president.”)
“Is Senator Imee Marcos’s ambition showing?” Castro said, questioning the motive behind the remark.
“Anyway, the honorable Senator Imee Marcos has been a senator since 2019 and she probably knows about the budget of the former administration regarding the San Juanico Bridge,” Castro added.
The Palace official pointed out that during the Duterte administration, which spanned from 2016 to 2022, no significant rehabilitation of the iconic bridge was initiated.
She said it was only under the Marcos administration that serious inspection and repair plans began.
“We should be thankful in this time of President Marcos Jr. because it was only during the inspection that the extent of the damage was discovered,” Castro said.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Marcos sets December deadline for San Juanico Bridge rehab.”
