By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday led the inauguration of the 3.169-kilometer Panguil Bay Bridge Project, the longest sea-crossing bridge in Mindanao which aims to enhance connectivity and drive economic progress in the region.
Costing more than P8 billion, the Panguil Bay Bridge Project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) connects Tangub City in Misamis Occidental and the municipality of Tubod in Lanao del Norte.
Actual work on the design and construction of the two-way, two-lane bridge connecting Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte commenced on Feb. 28, 2020 and was completed this month.
Land travel time between the two provinces will be reduced to just seven minutes from more than two hours.
Currently, travel takes at least 2.5 hours through Roll-On, Roll Off (RoRo) vessels from Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental to Mukas in Lanao del Norte or a 100-kilometer route via Tangub-Molave-Tubod Road or Tangub-Kapatagan-Tubod Road.
The Panguil Bay Bridge Project is also expected to improve the transport systems linking the region’s coastal areas and facilitate 24/7 mobility of people, goods, and services, propelling economic growth in the surrounding areas.
In his keynote speech, Marcos said he expects an increased economic activity in the two provinces, as well as in the entire Mindanao.
“We waited for this for such a long time. But today, the waiting [has] ended. We are here for the inauguration of the Panguil Bay Bridge Project—a day that we have long looked forward to,” he said.
“We do not get intimidated or discouraged by obstacles that are put in our way. We worked harder, pushed harder [and] never lost sight of why we are building this bridge. And while we are celebrating this monumental achievement, I would like to highlight the ripple effect it will have on local businesses,” Marcos added.
Marcos said the Panguil Bay Bridge will serve as a gateway “where ambitions of entrepreneurs fuel growth and prosperity.”
The bridge is made up of a 360-meter approach road leading to a 1,020-meter approach bridge on the Tangub City side, alongside a 569-meter approach road connected to a 900-meter approach bridge on the Tubod side.
It also features an extra-dosed main bridge, with a 320-meter central span, supported by two pylons standing 20 meters tall, anchored by six cable stays, and complemented by a lighting system, providing structural support and enhancing bridge aesthetics and safety for nighttime travel.
The project used advanced Korean bridge technology, including reverse circulation on drilling on barges to create boreholes and launching of thick permanent steel casings using revolving crane barges and vibro pile hammers.
The project was funded through a loan agreement signed between the Philippine government and the Korean Export-Import Bank in 2016.
The Panguil Bay Bridge Project is one of the 198 high-impact priority infrastructure flagship projects under the Marcos administration’s “Build, Better, More” program.
Marcos thanked the DPWH and its Korean partner for the completion of the bridge project, expressing hope that more would be built to propel economic growth.
“Let us make this success a launchpad for further development to ensure that this project opens new doors to progress and prosperity,” Marcos said. “It is just the beginning. We are building a Bagong Pilipinas, one where every Filipino, no matter how far, no matter how remote, is somehow connected.”
