San Miguel Corporation (SMC) chairman and chief executive officer Ramon Ang has refuted reports that they decided to shelve their plan to build a bridge that would link mainland Malay to Boracay Island in Aklan.
In a report by GMA News Online, Ang said it is “not true” that San Miguel Holdings Corporation (SMHC), SMC’s infrastructure arm, has agreed to scrap the P7.78-billion Boracay Bridge Project.
The purported withdrawal was announced by Aklan Second District Rep. Florencio Miraflores on Wednesday, May 27, after a meeting with Ang last May 13.
“After our discussion, he said that if the project is not acceptable to the community, he will not continue it. He does not want to implement a project that is not welcomed by the people,” he said.
The project was awarded by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to SMHC following the approval of a resolution recommending the award of the contract.
Under the contract, SMHC will finance, construct, design, operate, and maintain the bridge, which amounts to P7.78 billion, inclusive of financing costs.
The 2.54-kilometer bridge project includes “access for public transport, pedestrian lanes, bikeways, and provisions for utilities such as power, telecommunications, water supply, and sewerage.”IMT
