TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is working to raise the San Juanico Bridge’s load limit to 10–12 tons by the end of 2025.
This was disclosed by DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan who led a meeting with top officials and consultants on May 30 in Palo, Leyte, to discuss immediate repair plans that can be completed within five months. Consultants were directed to submit detailed plans within a week.
An inspection of the bridge and Amandayehan Port in Basey, Samar, followed the meeting, reflecting DPWH’s push for swift, practical solutions.
The current load restriction, in place since May 15, has disrupted transport between Samar and Leyte. The planned upgrade aims to ease these impacts and restore smoother movement of goods and people.
NSSDEO, Brgy. Burabud, Laoang, Northern Samar – On March 7, 2025, at the Mezzanine Floor of the Bureau of Maintenance in Manila, Mr. Gene Ryan A. Altea, Director IV of the DPWH – Bureau of Maintenance, led an engaging in-person session to prepare the CY 2025 Annual Maintenance Work Program/Preparation Budget (AMWP/PB) Preparation. This gathering aimed to meticulously plan for the repair and maintenance of our national roads, bridges, and road safety facilities.
The meeting was a productive platform designed to tackle and resolve the various concerns raised by district engineering offices regarding the Annual Maintenance Work Program/Performance Budget preparations. The objective was clear: to ensure that each district’s proposal adhere to the specific guidelines concerning the source and classification of maintenance activities, as outlined in Secretary Manual M. Bonoan’s memorandum dated January 28, 2025.
Additionally, this event included discussions on preparing the AMWP/PB for the General Appropriations Act (GAA) release and the first round of additional funding. Representatives from regional and district engineering offices participated, including Engr. Christian Dave C. Pangandoyon and Engr. Danny M. Pillado, Jr., of the Maintenance Section of this office, adding their expertise to the session. (dpwh8/nssdeo/krf/jmp)
AFFORDABLE RICE. Seniors buying PHP20 per kg. rice at a Kadiwa Store in Basey, Samar on Thursday (May 29, 2025). The local agriculture office said it is very realistic for areas with rice farms to sell the staple food at PHP20 per kg., especially during harvest season. (Sarwell Meniano)
AFFORDABLE RICE. Seniors buying PHP20 per kg. rice at a Kadiwa Store in Basey, Samar on Thursday (May 29, 2025). The local agriculture office said it is very realistic for areas with rice farms to sell the staple food at PHP20 per kg., especially during harvest season. (Sarwell Meniano)
BASEY, Samar – An official of the local agriculture office here on Thursday said it is very realistic for areas with rice farms to sell the staple food at PHP20 per kg., especially during harvest season.
Being the first town in Samar to implement the government’s Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na program, Jesus Jabines, municipal agriculture officer, said they are willing to share the good practice with other towns in the province and even outside the region.
“With the assistance given to our farmers, such as free seeds and fertilizer, it would be easy to ask them to give back by selling rice at PHP20 per kg. In our town, each farmer who received a sack of free fertilizer, we ask them to sell a sack of their produce to poor families,” he told the Philippine News Agency.
Each bag of fertilizer costs P2,000, while a bag of rice seeds costs nearly P1,000. Some farmers get more than one bag of fertilizer and seeds. They also get incentives for production from the Office of the Mayor.
This is the fourth week that the local government has been selling affordable rice to indigent families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities in partnership with around 3,000 local farmers through the Kadiwa ng Pangulo store outside the municipal hall and in village halls.
“Those who sell rice to us get a free rice-drying net. They are also prioritized in the distribution of free seeds and fertilizers in the next cropping. This inspires them to participate in the program every harvest,” Jabines added.
Basey, a town with 4,400 hectares devoted to rice farming, is 46 kilometers away from Tacloban City, the regional capital of Eastern Visayas.
Alde Carbonida, 62, of Barangay Buscada, is grateful that the PHP20 per kg. rice is available for poor families in their town. He only earns PHP200 daily from driving a pedicab.
His family of five consumes two kilos of rice daily.
“Before the rollout of this PHP20 per kilo rice, our budget only allowed us to buy salted or dried fish for a side dish. Now, we can afford to buy meat and vegetables,” Carbonida added. (PNA)
Catarman N. Samar– The Department of Public Works and Highways – Northern Samar First District Engineering Office (DPWH-NSFDEO) has recently completed Phase 1 of the Libjo-Daganas-Old Rizal Farm-to-Market Road Project in Catarman, Northern Samar.
The initial phase of the project amounting to P14.90 million, involves the concreting of a 0.2-kilometer road aimed at improving accessibility and connectivity in the area. The scope of work also includes the excavation of 1,644.66 cubic meters, embankment works, construction of slope protection structures, and concrete box culvert.
Funded under the convergence program of the Department of Agriculture and DPWH, farm-to-market roads are vital infrastructure projects aimed at boosting agricultural productivity and rural development.
In the long run, the completion of this road network will contribute to increased connectivity, eventually linking Barangays Libjo, Daganas and Old Rizal and spur economic opportunities in the area. (ANALIZA A. PABIA /PR)
AROUND-THE-CLOCK WORK AT AMANDAYEHAN PORT. With rehabilitation work on the San Juanico Bridge still pending, construction continues nearly 24/7 at the Amandayehan Port in Basey, Samar. The port is being prepared as an alternative offloading site for heavy vehicles banned from crossing the bridge en route to the Tacloban City Port. (Photo by Roel T. Amazona)
Due to San Juanico Bridge load limit
AROUND-THE-CLOCK WORK AT AMANDAYEHAN PORT. With rehabilitation work on the San Juanico Bridge still pending, construction continues nearly 24/7 at the Amandayehan Port in Basey, Samar. The port is being prepared as an alternative offloading site for heavy vehicles banned from crossing the bridge en route to the Tacloban City Port. (Photo by Roel T. Amazona)
TACLOBAN CITY – The city government of Tacloban and the provincial government of Eastern Samar have declared separate states of emergency in response to the severe economic and logistical impacts caused by load restrictions on the San Juanico Bridge.
The 2.16-kilometer bridge, which links Leyte and Samar, was partially closed on May 14 after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) discovered structural defects on the 52-year-old infrastructure. The load limit has since disrupted the movement of heavy vehicles and vital supplies between the islands.
Prior to Tacloban and Eastern Samar’s declarations, the province of Samar had already declared a state of emergency on May 20 due to similar concerns.
In Tacloban, Mayor Alfred Romualdez warned that the bridge restrictions could seriously undermine the city’s economy, especially given its heavy dependence on the flow of goods via San Juanico.
“The limitation will have a stifling effect on economic activity in the city of Tacloban, including the supply of food and services,” Romualdez stated in a letter to the city council on Monday, May 26.
The council responded by passing a resolution declaring a state of emergency during its regular session on Thursday, May 29.
In an earlier interview, Romualdez said the declaration aims to expedite rehabilitation efforts for the San Juanico Bridge, as well as repairs to the Amandayehan Port in Basey, Samar. The port has been identified as a temporary hub for vehicles weighing over three tons en route to Tacloban.
“This declaration will be used as a vehicle to fast-track the actions of our national government in addressing the San Juanico Bridge problem,” the mayor said.
Meanwhile, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Eastern Samar also placed the entire province under a state of emergency on Friday, May 30, following a resolution passed by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) chaired by Governor Ben Evardone on Wednesday, May 28.
Evardone said the province is already feeling the effects of the bridge’s partial closure, with fuel and essential goods in short supply and prices rising sharply.
“We have received reports of price increases in various consumer products and construction materials from Tacloban. The big three oil companies—Petron, Caltex, and Shell—currently have no fuel supply in the province. Even agricultural products from Leyte, Mindanao, and other Visayas areas have seen significant price hikes,” Evardone said in a Viber interview on Thursday, May 29.
He added that the provincial government is pushing for transport subsidies, especially for roll-on/roll-off (RORO) services, to ease rising logistics costs. They are also appealing for direct RORO trips to Eastern Samar to help stabilize the flow of goods.
“We fear the situation will worsen if no urgent measures are taken. Declaring a state of emergency allows all government agencies to respond swiftly to this crisis,” he stressed.
Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan, in a separate interview, said the declarations would help accelerate national government interventions, especially by the DPWH and the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
“The state of emergency allows agencies to act immediately—bypassing the usual procurement procedures—for the rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge,” Tan said.
She emphasized that Samar is among the most affected provinces, as much of its fuel and other essential supplies come from Tacloban City in Leyte.
“It’s not only the business sector that’s suffering; even the delivery of basic needs is being affected,” she added.
GRATEFUL FOR GOVERNMENT AID. Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan expresses her gratitude for the swift assistance extended by the national government in response to the ongoing San Juanico Bridge crisis. (HEART TAN)
Province daily losses at P20 million
GRATEFUL FOR GOVERNMENT AID. Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan expresses her gratitude for the swift assistance extended by the national government in response to the ongoing San Juanico Bridge crisis. (HEART TAN)
TACLOBAN CITY – Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan expressed her gratitude to the national government for its prompt response following the imposition of a 3-ton weight limit on the San Juanico Bridge, which has severely affected the province’s economy.
Samar, which relies heavily on supplies from Leyte, is reportedly losing at least P20 million daily due to the disruption in the delivery of goods, including fuel, food, and construction materials.
In a media interview on Wednesday afternoon, May 28, Tan said that through the immediate intervention of the national government, a temporary port in Amandayehan, Basey, Samar was identified as an alternative route.
This port will now serve as a loading point for commercial trucks unable to cross the bridge due to the weight restriction. These trucks will be ferried across to a port in Tacloban City, Leyte.
“This Amandayehan port will serve as a vital link, allowing trucks that cannot cross the bridge to be transported to the Tacloban port,” the governor explained. “This setup will help mitigate further economic losses.”
Tan said the initiative was made possible through the support of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), following instructions from Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon. Originally a fish port, Amandayehan required immediate rehabilitation to accommodate vessels.
“We had to act fast by reinforcing the shores with boulders so that vessels could dock properly,” she said, noting that the rocks were taken from excavated road sections under repair in the province.
“The contractors doing road works provided the boulders. I called on them to bring the materials to Amandayehan.”
Given the urgency of the situation, the governor said there was no need for a full design or long planning phase for the temporary port.
“The San Juanico Bridge is a lifeline for Samar. This situation requires immediate action,” she emphasized.
The province has since been placed under a state of emergency due to the severe disruption caused by the bridge restrictions.
Governor Tan hopes the rehabilitation of the Amandayehan port will be completed within 10 days, as directed by Secretary Dizon during his visit on Sunday, May 25.
Once operational, the port will be capable of accommodating at least four vessels, each able to carry 20 trucks per trip, with a travel time of about 30 minutes between Samar and Leyte.
Prior to the restriction, around 1,400 trucks crossed the 2.16-kilometer San Juanico Bridge daily. Since the load limit took effect, about 400 trucks have been rerouted through the longer Calbayog, Samar–Ormoc, Leyte route.
