PALO, Leyte-Governor Carlos Jericho ‘Icot’ Petilla said that the imposition of a load limit on the San Juanico Bridge has not significantly disrupted the supply of essential goods and fuel in the province.
Petilla, however, emphasized the need to urgently address the structural issues affecting the 2.15-kilometer bridge, which connects the islands of Leyte and Samar.
“In our monitoring last week and even this week, we compared the prices of basic goods to the suggested retail prices set by the Department of Trade and Industry, and we found no price movement,” Petilla said in an interview on Tuesday, June 3, at his office.
The governor explained that fuel and essential commodities, including rice, needed by Leyte residents and businesses do not pass through San Juanico Bridge. Instead, these are sourced from Cebu or brought directly through the Tacloban City Port, which also hosts a fuel depot.
Still, Petilla offered an alternative port in Babatngon, Leyte which could serve as a temporary route for heavy vehicles coming from the Samar side.
Currently, the Amandayehan Port in Basey, Samar is undergoing rehabilitation to serve as the main access point for trucks heading to Leyte via Tacloban City. The port is expected to be operational by June 10, allowing trucks weighing up to 3 tons to be transported via roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels.
Petilla noted that the economic impact of the bridge’s weight restriction is felt more severely in Samar than in Leyte.
The provinces of Samar and Eastern Samar as well as the city of Tacloban are now under a state of emergency due to the San Juanico Bridge problem.
“But once the RoRo route is fully operational, and everything normalizes, the San Juanico Bridge issue may become negligible since light vehicles are still allowed to cross,” he said.
The governor also remarked that the issue is being overblown, not only by ordinary citizens but even by some public officials.
“If you ask me—yes, I think it’s being hyped. And when you cause panic, prices tend to rise unnecessarily,” he added.
Meanwhile, Eugene Tan, president of the Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry–Leyte Tacloban chapter, expressed hope that the Amandayehan Port would begin operations as scheduled on June 10.
“The longer this problem drags on, the more it will hurt our economy. Last year, we had a strong economic performance with a regional gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.2 percent. We might end up at the bottom next year—and that’s not good,” Tan said in a separate interview.
According to Tan, the effect of the bridge’s load limit is already being felt in Tacloban’s downtown commercial area.
“While we have yet to hear of business closures, we’ve been informed of declining income due to fewer customers, most of whom come from Samar,” he said.
JOEY A. GABIETA, ROEL T. AMAZONA
