The final detailed engineering design (DED) for the proposed Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Island Bridges Project has already been signed.
This was confirmed by engineer Arecio Casing Jr., regional director of the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev-6).
The final DED will be forwarded to the Economic Development Council (EDC), chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., for presentation.
“Mind you, this is a big activity since the price of the bridge has almost doubled,” Casing said during a press briefing.
The EDC will evaluate the project, and upon approval, the Department of Finance (DOF) will secure the necessary funding.
The South Korean government initially committed loan financing for the Panay-Guimaras section and is actively pursuing funds for the succeeding Guimaras-Negros segment.
According to Casing, the cost of the long-awaited project increased to P320 billion from the previous budget of P150 billion.
The construction of the project’s first phase, based on the updated timeline from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-6), will start next year.
“We target the procurement this year until the middle of next year (2027), and hope we will be awarding the contract package by middle of next year,” said Casing.
Spanning 13.616 kilometers, the first bridge will connect Leganes in Iloilo to Buenavista in Guimaras. The second one will span 19.47 kilometers from San Lorenzo, Guimaras to Pulupandan, Negros Occidental.IMT
