To ease San Juanico Bridge disruption
TACLOBAN CITY – To cushion the effects of the partial closure of the San Juanico Bridge, a free roll-on/roll-off (RORO) service for cargo trucks officially launched on Wednesday, June 18, transporting essential goods between Tacloban City and Basey, Samar.
Part of the national government’s “Libreng Sakay” program, the daily sea trips will run for the next six months between Tacloban Port and Amandayehan Port in Basey. The service is exclusively for heavy vehicles unable to cross the bridge due to load restrictions.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) imposed a three-ton weight limit on the 2.16-kilometer bridge starting May 15 after structural defects were discovered.
The maiden RORO trip departed at 10:45 a.m., carrying 28 trucks loaded with food and other perishable goods. The sea crossing takes about 30 minutes.
The initiative is led by the Regional Inter-Agency Coordinating Cell–Task Force San Juanico (RIACC-TFSJ), under the Office of Civil Defense–Eastern Visayas (OCD-8), and supported by P54.3 million in funding from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Roble Shipping Company is the designated vessel operator.
“This service is completely free and funded by the national government,” said OCD-8 Regional Director Lord Byron Torrecarion. “Our goal is to ensure the steady supply of food, fuel, and other necessities to minimize inflationary impacts caused by the partial closure of the San Juanico Bridge.”
Torrecarion said the move aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to support truckers and sustain supply chains.
The President visited San Juanico Bridge and Amandayehan Port on June 11, pledging swift government action.
DILG Regional Director Arnel Agabe expressed optimism that the bridge could handle heavier loads before the RORO program ends.
“We hope that during the program’s implementation, the bridge will be reinforced enough to handle loads beyond the current three-ton limit,” he said.
DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan earlier said retrofitting may be completed by year-end, raising the bridge’s load capacity to 12 tons.
Currently, five shipping companies are authorized by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to serve the temporary route.
To support night operations, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) will install 14 navigational buoys next week.
“This will allow our vessels to travel even during nighttime,” said PPA Regional Manager Diane Steffi Guillamon.
According to the OCD, only trucks carrying essential or perishable goods are eligible for the free service. These include food, water, medicine, fuel, animal feeds, and medical supplies.
Government and humanitarian vehicles on official missions, and private suppliers endorsed by LGUs, the RIACC-TFSJ, or OCD-8, may also avail of the program.
Truck operators must submit a registration form from OCD, vehicle documents, and a cargo manifest listing the essential items onboard.
As of Wednesday, several trucks remain stranded on both sides of the bridge, waiting their turn for RORO transport.
JOEY A. GABIETA, LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA
