Diri la ini tungod han iya kaanyag, kundi han iya kamaupay, han iya sakripisyo.
San Juanico Bridge is on the headlines nowadays due to the load restrictions and due to the recent events labeling it as an irritating tourist destination . Let us try to look at it in the lens of those living close-by.
To us Waraynons , San Juanico is an ally, a friend and a provider.
Beyond its touristic pull, this structure serves as a lifeline—quite literally—for the communities it links. Farmers from Samar can now reach markets in Tacloban with ease, delivering fresh produce that once took circuitous, costly routes. Students cross daily in pursuit of education, and families reunite with loved ones on either side without needing to board a banca at dawn. It may be made of concrete and steel, but it hums with the heartbeat of Filipino life.
Moreover, the bridge is a symbolic joining of cultures that were once separated by a stretch of water that felt like an ocean. In forging a physical link, it fostered a deeper sense of regional unity between Eastern Visayas’ two main islands. The bridge is not just infrastructure; it is a metaphor for our interconnected destinies as a people—how we rise or fall, not alone, but together.
In times of calamity, like the devastating Typhoon Yolanda, San Juanico’s value became even more evident. Relief efforts moved faster. Supplies, responders, and hope coursed through its lanes. It stood not only as a bridge, but as a beacon of continuity amid the rupture of disaster.
To reduce San Juanico Bridge to merely a scenic view is to miss the truth: that it is a living thread in the fabric of Visayan life. Yes, tourists will continue to admire its grandeur. But for those who live in its shadow, cross it daily, and rely on its presence—it is nothing short of essential.
