Eastern Visayas under state of calamity

Amid San Juanico Bridge rehab

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has declared a state of calamity in Eastern Visayas to fast-track the rehabilitation of San Juanico Bridge and mitigate the impact of the repair on economic activities and on the mobility of the people.

The state of calamity took effect on June 5 and will remain for a year unless lifted earlier or extended as circumstances may warrant, according to Proclamation 920.

Marcos adopted a recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, which cited the compromised state of the 52-year-old bridge that links Samar and Leyte.

“There is an urgent need to repair and rehabilitate San Juanico Bridge to ensure timely delivery of essential goods and services, and restore regional mobility,” Marcos said in the proclamation.

He said the declaration of a state of calamity would hasten the rehabilitation of the bridge as well as allow the government to tap appropriate funds for the repair and upgrade of the infrastructure.

Marcos ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to “expedite all measures necessary” to complete the rehabilitation.

He directed the Department of Budget and Management to assist the DPWH in identifying appropriate and sufficient funding sources for the project.

The failure of previous governments to inspect the bridge every three years has left the structure in “a dangerous state,” Marcos said.

Because of the bridge’s condition, a three-ton vehicle load limit was imposed on May 15, resulting in heavy traffic and disrupting transport of food, medicine, farm goods and other vital commodities across the region.

Samar port opened

Meanwhile, the port of Amandayehan in Basey, Samar has been opened to roll-on roll-off vessels that will ferry vehicles barred from passing through San Juanico Bridge.

The opening of the port effectively established the shortest alternate route for heavy vehicles, facilitating the transport of cargo and other essentials.

The opening came after workers of the DPWH-Eastern Visayas completed emergency upgrading works on the site: clearing of obstructions, improving access road, constructing a 17-meter port platform with a 28-meter ramp and installing mooring structures.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon and Philippine Ports Authority general manager Jay Daniel Santiago led the opening of the port on Saturday.

Dizon said the port’s opening is vital in addressing current transportation problems caused by the vehicle load restriction on the bridge.

He said he is pushing for a 24-hour barge operation between the ports of Basey and Tacloban to lessen the number of vehicles waiting  to cross the bridge.

Before the port upgrade, two shipping companies were serving the route on a limited 12-hour schedule.

Dizon urged the Philippine Coast Guard to install navigational buoys along the strait to facilitate ro-ro operations particularly at night, for service around the clock. – Miriam Desacada, Helen Flores