The much-awaited Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Bridges will proceed as planned, the top official of the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) in Western Visayas confirmed on Monday, Oct. 7.
In a media interview, DEPDev Regional Director Arecio Casing Jr. said the Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) central office will go ahead with their activities.
“There are no reports that the Korean government has withdrawn its support. I believe the reports given by some sectors in society are related to a different project, and I think it is a project that did not even materialize,” he said.
He was referring to a report last month on the suspension of an infrastructure loan from the Korean government for projects under the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) amid alleged anomalous flood control projects.
Casing said that since the projects did not materialize, DAR looked for a different Official Development Assistance (ODA) source.
He said it is the Department of Finance that is in charge of the loan availability for the PGN project.
The project was initially pegged at PHP300 billion. The first segment (Panay-Guimaras) is set to begin in July 2026.
The Panay-Guimaras segment has a total length of 13.616 kilometers, while Guimaras to Negros (Section B) stretches 19.47 kilometers.
The project, he said, is similar to the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge project — a 30-kilometer bridge with two spans and passing through Corregidor Island — which has already solicited bids from international contractors.
“In a sense, we are hopeful that the PGN bridge will follow soon,” Casing said.PNA
