Marcos: Panguil Bay Bridge to spur economic activities in Mindanao

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Friday expressed optimism that the Panguil Bay Bridge in Mindanao would spur economic activities in the region.

In his speech, Marcos said the bridge took decades to build from conception to inauguration.

''I just said we waited for this for such a long time. If I had a peso for every time someone asks me when we will finish the Panguil Bay Bridge, I would already be able to fund a second bridge by now. But today, the waiting has ended,'' Marcos said.

''We all know that the increased economic activity is going to be an important development building block for both the provinces and the entire island of Mindanao,'' he added.

According to the Presidential Communications Office, the P8.03-billion Panguil Bay Bridge is considered Mindanao's longest sea-crossing bridge at 3.1 kilometers.

It connects Tangub City in Misamis Occidental and Tubod town in Lanao del Norte.

The construction of the two-way, two-lane bridge started on February 28, 2020, and was completed this month. Due to this project, the land travel time from Ozamiz or Tangub, Misamis Occidental, to Tubod, Lanao del Norte, will be reduced from more than two hours to only seven minutes.

Further, the bridge is expected to improve the transport systems linking the region’s coastal areas and facilitate 24/7 mobility of people, goods, and services, which will later propel economic growth in the surrounding areas.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the bridge, which has a lifespan of 50 years, could withstand an intensity 8 earthquake.

Bonoan also said the bridge would be open to all types of vehicles, and road limits must strictly be observed.

Meanwhile, Marcos said the launching of the bridge aims to set the momentum for the government to carry out other infrastructure projects across the country.
 
“Let us make this success a launchpad for further development to ensure that this project opens new doors for progress and prosperity,'' Marcos said.

He also thanked the government’s partners in the South Korean government and the Korean Export-Import Bank, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and other offices and individuals who contributed to finishing the project. —VBL, GMA Integrated News