In the narrative of lawyer Ruben C. Carranza, the San Juanico Bridge inauguration took place on the birthday of the conjugal dictator’s half Imelda Romualdez Marcos on July 2, 1973. Among the guests whom she loved to invite to give the world a false veneer of a “jetset” lifestyle were socialite Cristina Ford and the concert pianist Van Cliburn. Also, Arthur Lopez, the banquet manager of the Manila Hilton Hotel was tasked to manage the huge catering for a cover of 5,000 breakfast, lunch and dinner.
All the kitchen equipment, machines and ingredients including 200 hotel staff to set up the kitchen and service facilities including ice carvings and flowing fountains on-site. The kitchen staff were flown from Manila to the reception site in Tolosa, Leyte be ready a least a week prior to the big event. The food and service was first class and the total tab for the event was reportedly P1million and was reportedly the first time in history for such a gargantuan amount of a catering contract.
Recently, the Samar provincial government proposed a project to install LED lights in the bridge, with timed lighting effects for select occasions as an effort to boost tourism between Leyte and Samar islands. The P80 million project dubbed as the San Juanico Bridge Lighting Project was approved by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority in January 2018.
It became the light and sound display at the San Juanico Bridge with the cost is pegged at P80 million. This, while the poverty incidence in Samar today is 37% and Leyte is at 39.10% among the poorest provinces in the country. The 2021 agriculture budget for Samar was P66.03 million.
The implementation of the lighting project under the term of the magical president has experienced delays. The groundbreaking for the project took place on 26 July 2019, with completion projected for December 2019 or January 2020. The completion of the project however has been delayed. The bridge was successfully lit up for the first time on 20 October 2022.
It would be recalled that the bridge was slightly damaged by Typhoon Haiyan, locally known as Super Typhoon Yolanda, in November 2013 but was quickly repaired and reopened within the month.
It would be recalled that the San Juanico Bridge underwent rehabilitation sometime in the year 2022 by Japanese firm Sumitumo, the principal contractor. It was closed to traffic sometime on 30 October 2002 when a barge rammed one of its foundations or piers that caused the deck to slid by at least 10 centimeters. The damaged was attributed to material fatigue by Engr. Jimmy Chan, the Philippine-Japan Highway Loan project manager.
Over half a century since the erection of the iconic San Juanico Bridge, this generation ought to know the untold facts that may all be lasting reminders of bridge tears.
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