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Helen Flores - The Philippine Star
December 13, 2025 | 12:00am
The San Juanico Bridge was reopened to two-way traffic with a 15-ton limit yesterday. President Marcos led the inspection of repair work on the iconic structure connecting Samar and Leyte.
MANILA, Philippines — The rehabilitation of San Juanico Bridge is partially finished, with full completion expected by the third quarter of next year, President Marcos assured the people of Samar and Leyte yesterday, even as he directed authorities to ensure proper maintenance of the 52-year-old bridge to avoid socioeconomic disruption.
Marcos said the retrofitting cost the government P1.1 billion
“That is money that we could have saved if proper maintenance was carried out on San Juanico,” Marcos said as he led the reopening of the 2.15-kilometer bridge to two-way traffic after several months of repair work.
Marcos said they expect the complete rehabilitation by the third quarter of 2026.
“I’m very happy that I’m able to say now, it is very close to our deadline. And so, the San Juanico Bridge is partially finished. It will be finished next year so that the bridge will be able to take again the load of 33 tons going both ways,” the President said.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez joined the inspection. Former speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, Marcos’ cousin who was linked to anomalous flood control projects, was not seen at the event.
In his speech, the President said the local governments are also planning to allow one-way overnight traffic for large trucks with a capacity of up to 30 tons.
The bridge, which connects Leyte and Samar, has been closed to all vehicles exceeding three tons since May due to repairs.
In June, Marcos declared a state of calamity in Eastern Visayas to fast-track the rehabilitation of the structure to mitigate the impact of the repair on economic activities and the mobility of people.
Marcos had blamed decades of neglect and lack of proper maintenance of the vital bridge built during the term of Marcos’ late father and namesake.
“I hope that this is a lesson to us and to all of those in the future whose responsibility will be to look after our thoroughfares, to always remember the experience of San Juanico Bridge, that if we had only maintained it, we would have saved a great deal,” the President said.
“Not only that P1.1 billion that we spent but the sacrifices of our truck (drivers) went through and the (establishments) in Samar, here in Tacloban in Leyte,” he said.
The President also visited on Friday the National Maritime Polytechnic in Tacloban City, which serves as maritime training and research center.
The training center was a project of Marcos’ mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos.
During his visit, the President inspected the facility’s full bridge simulator, liquid cargo handling simulator and engine room simulator which can be used starting January 2026.
