‘State of calamity’ in E. Visayas to hasten transport crisis response

TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas officials welcomed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s decision to declare a state of calamity in the region, saying this will expedite government response to the transport crisis and the repair of the San Juanico Bridge.

Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, chairperson of the Regional Development Council (RDC), said Proclamation 920, signed by the President on June 5, 2025 and is in effect for a year, implies that the Chief Executive is serious in addressing the crisis arising from the 3-ton load limit on the bridge that links Leyte and Samar provinces.

“The presidential visit means he wants to get things done. The RDC has done our part, and the ball is now in the hands of the national government,” Gomez told reporters late Tuesday.

Marcos visited the region Wednesday noon to check the San Juanico Bridge and Amandayehan Port in Basey, Samar.

During its meeting on Tuesday, the RDC approved a resolution requesting the President to provide PHP1.17 billion in immediate funding to restore the bridge’s 33-ton load capacity within the year.

Possible sources of funds include those from the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) calamity fund and the Department of Budget and Management's unprogrammed funds.

Earlier, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office here bared its “ambitious” plan to restore the 33-ton load capacity of the bridge before the end of 2025 after it considered funding and resources, the pre-construction timeline, and the five-month civil works target as directed by DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan.

Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) chair Lord Byron Torrecarion said the declaration will allow regional line agencies and local government units to immediately address concerns arising from the limited access of the vital bridge.

“It will help the region respond right away to the needs of people using the bridge and find ways to maintain the volume of traffic and do repair of the bridge as well,” Torrecarion told the Philippine News Agency in a phone interview.

Under the proclamation, the President orders all departments, agencies, bureaus, and offices of the national government and encourages all local government units and the private sector to “fully support, cooperate, and mobilize the necessary resources to undertake critical, urgent, and appropriate measures promptly to repair and rehabilitate the San Juanico Bridge fully.” (PNA)

(2025/06/11-08:53)