• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson yesterday stressed the need for the early resolution of the controversy over the shortlisting and bid evaluation criteria for the detailed engineering design (DED) of the 32.4- kilometer Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridge, to prevent delays in the project.
Lacson said a bidder on DED complained against another bidder over alleged biases.
The Department of Public Works and Highways is targeting to start DED activities for the Region 6 bridge by next month.
According to DPWH, the engineering service of the 32.47-km Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges is covered by a US56.6-million loan from the Korean government.
Lacson said that it should be resolved, adding that the Export-Import Bank of Korea could pull out from its commitment to provide financial support because of the controversy.
The scope of engineering services includes preliminary design covering a review of the feasibility study and preliminary and basic design; detailed engineering design including estimation of detailed construction cost; and procurement assistance.
After the DED, which may last at least two years, Guimaras Gov. JC Rahma Nava said it will be followed by civil works that will last four to five years.
With that massive infrastructure project, Nava, in a press briefing in Guimaras, said that the future landscape of his province will change. “We are looking forward to its realization,” Nava said.
He added that the future of Guimaras is on its way to become a potential logistics hub of Western Visayas, as he recalled that Jordan wharf used to be the storage of sugar being produced in Negros and Panay, for export to other countries.
Composed of two sea-crossing bridges connecting the islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros in Western Visayas Region, the PGN bridges project will shorten travel time of commuters and motorists, and the transport of goods among the aforementioned islands, from the present three to four hours through ferry/RORO services, to less than one hour.*
