CEBU CITY — Mayor Tomas Osmeña on Saturday said the national government’s plan to build bridges connecting Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao will make travel and transport of merchandise and goods much easier.
“This will virtually make the Visayas islands as one,” Osmeña said in an interview during the launching of the “Biyaya ng Pagbabago” anti-poverty program at the Cebu Technological University grounds here.
He also hopes the construction of these bridges will begin at the soonest time possible.
Department of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III announced the plan during the Philippine Economic Briefing on Thursday at the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.
In his speech read by Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin, Dominguez said the government will build a total of eight bridges that will connect the Visayas to Luzon and Mindanao.
The eight bridges, estimated to cost PHP269 billion, include the 24.5-kilometer Cebu-Bohol and 5.5-km Cebu-Negros link bridges.
The said projects are just waiting for the approval of the National Economic and Development Authority’s Investment Coordination Committee (Neda-ICC).
Also awating approval by Neda-ICC are the Samar-Luzon, Leyte-Mindanao, Negros-Guimaras, Panay-Guimaras, Leyte-Lapinig Island, and Bohol-Lapinig bridges. (PNA)