BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Acknowledging that availability of funds is always a primordial concern in the construction of a mega project, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson remains hopeful that the Iloilo-Guimaras bridge link to Negros via Pulupandan pushes through.
“Funding is always a concern of any administration. I think that is the reason why the build-build program of the past administration is only 10 to 12 percent successful, because of funds,” Lacson said.
Former Ilonggo Senator Franklin Drilon earlier disclosed that the South Korean government through the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) is considering providing a loan only for the Panay-Guimaras bridge of the proposed Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) mega bridge project.
Drilon claimed that there are no possible lenders (at the moment) for the Guimaras-Negros (bridge) because that is the longer version and nay need a bigger budget.
Lacson said they will start the Iloilo-Guimaras bridge first for safety reasons, because of accidents that took place between the two islands in the past. That is why priority is given to the Iloilo-Guimaras bridge, aside from being shorter and needing a smaller budget.
According to a study of the National Economic Development Authority and Department of Public Works and Highways, the Panay-Guimaras bridge will have a sea-crossing bridge length of 4.97 kilometers, while the Guimaras-Negros bridge has 13.11 kilometers of sea-crossing bridge length.
However, Lacson is hopeful that the two bridges, Iloilo-Guimaras and Guimaras-Negros will be funded together, noting that even the Regional Development Council requested the Negros Occidental Provincial Development Council to pass a resolution endorsing the Iloilo-Guimaras-Negros bridge.*
