Marcos declares state of calamity in Eastern Visayas to speed up San Juanico Bridge repairs

Metro Manila, Philippines - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a state of calamity in Eastern Visayas in a bid to accelerate the repair and rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge and lessen the disruption caused to the people of Samar and Leyte provinces..

The one-year state of calamity under Proclamation 920 took effect on June 5 and may be lifted earlier or extended as needed.

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

Completed during the term of the president’s late father, President Ferdinand E. Marcos, in 1973, the 2.16-kilometer span was the only permanent link between the island-provinces.

It is also a key segment of the Pan-Philippine Highway (Maharlika Highway/AH26), the backbone of inter-island connectivity between Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

Recent structural assessments by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) revealed that the bridge is in critical condition, leading to the implementation of a strict three-ton load limit beginning May 15.

The restriction has effectively halted the passage of heavy cargo vehicles, paralyzing the transport of food, medicines, construction supplies, and other essential goods across Eastern Visayas.

Proclamation 920 instructed the DPWH, in coordination with local government units (LGUs), to “expedite all measures necessary” for the full repair and rehabilitation of the bridge. The Department of Budget and Management has also been tasked to help identify and mobilize sufficient funding for the infrastructure effort.

To maintain peace and order during the crisis, law enforcement agencies, with support from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, were directed to implement urgent response measures to ensure the safety and security of affected communities.

“All departments, agencies, bureaus, and offices of the national government” were also ordered to support and cooperate fully, while LGUs and the private sector were encouraged to “mobilize the necessary resources” for immediate and long-term solutions to the bridge's rehabilitation.

“The declaration of a state of calamity will, among others, hasten the repair and rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge, and afford the National Government, as well as LGUs, ample latitude to utilize appropriate funds for the repair and safety upgrading of the subject public infrastructure,” the proclamation stated.