To ease San Juanico Bridge crisis
TACLOBAN CITY – Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered the immediate repair of Amandayehan Port in Basey, Samar to accommodate roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels and ease the growing transport crisis caused by load restrictions on the San Juanico Bridge.
During a meeting on Sunday, May 25, with national agencies and local officials, Dizon said President Marcos had instructed him to address the emergency disruption in the movement of goods, food, fuel, and construction materials between Samar and Leyte.
“This is a major emergency,” Dizon said. “We aim to make Amandayehan Port operational within 7 to 10 days.”
The port, originally designed for fishing vessels, will be repaired to handle heavy trucks now barred from the structurally compromised 52-year-old bridge. In the meantime, Tacloban Port remains operational.
Dizon also directed the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to fast-track permits for shipping firms along the Amandayehan–Tacloban route. Four companies have applied so far, with the route expected to handle up to 200 trucks daily. The 30-minute sea trip costs around P3,000 per truck—far cheaper than the P15,000 cost and 11-hour drive from Calbayog to Ormoc.
Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan welcomed the timeline, saying, “It’s better than nothing. We hope trucks can start loading within 10 days.”
She warned of growing shortages due to the three-ton limit imposed on May 14.
Samar is now under a state of emergency following the restrictions imposed at the iconic bridge.
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and local business leaders also backed the move.
“The President is very concerned—not just about the movement of goods, but especially about the people affected by the load limit,” he said.
Eugene Tan of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce–Leyte-Tacloban said the economic impact is mounting.
“At least we now have a timeline. The uncertainty was worse,” he said.
“There’s no question that the restriction on the San Juanico Bridge is already impacting our economy,” Tan added.
Roughly 1,400 trucks cross the San Juanico Bridge daily, now rerouted as authorities rush to implement alternatives.
JOEY A. GABIETA, ROEL T. AMAZONA
