LOST IN TRANSLATION?: Boracay Bridge isn’t dead yet, San Miguel says

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Ramon Ang-led San Miguel Corp. (SMC) said it is not abandoning its proposed PHP 7.78 billion Boracay Bridge project, disputing statements by Aklan officials that the plan had been dropped because of strong local opposition.

SMC said the confusion appeared to stem from “differing interpretations of discussions” during a May 13 meeting between Ang and Aklan provincial officials led by Gov. Jose Enrique Miraflores.

The firm emphasized that no final decision to cancel the project has been made, noting that the meeting formed part of continuing consultations with stakeholders.

“The meeting was part of continuing consultations on the project and focused on concerns raised by boat owners, transport associations, cooperatives, tricycle drivers, port workers and other local stakeholders,” SMC said in a statement on Friday, May 29.

It added that the issues discussed included possible livelihood displacement, outstanding boat modernization loans, and changes to transport operations between Caticlan and Boracay.

SMC said “further consultations will be pursued to hear from a broader range of local stakeholders and guide the project’s next steps.”

The company added that it has been “engaging stakeholders in good faith and will continue to work with government, cooperatives and local groups to study mitigation measures, transition support and livelihood programs.”

It said the project could still be revisited in the future, provided that concerns over livelihoods, transport systems, safeguards, and other impacts are properly addressed.

SMC reiterated that the proposed bridge is designed as a controlled-access structure intended to improve the movement of essential goods, waste, utilities, emergency services, and regulated transport between Caticlan and Boracay.

It stressed that the project is not intended to open Boracay to unrestricted vehicle traffic, nor to alter tourist caps or environmental safeguards already in place.

“The bridge will also not add hotel rooms, raise tourist caps or change Boracay’s carrying-capacity limits. Existing environmental safeguards and island-management rules will remain under the authority of the national and local governments,” SMC said.

The company added that the structure is meant to complement, not replace, the existing boat crossing, with ferry operations at the Caticlan jetty port expected to continue.

It clarified that the bridge would primarily handle cargo, waste transport, utilities, and emergency access, easing pressure on the marine corridor that currently serves both passengers and essential logistics.

On May 27, Miraflores said Ang had verbally agreed to drop the project.

“In the end, he agreed that he will no longer push through with the Boracay Bridge. He listens. Ramon Ang listens,” the governor said.

Miraflores also said the provincial government opted to withhold the announcement until a stakeholders’ briefing was held.

The provincial government of Aklan has been vocal in its opposition to the project. In October 2025, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, or provincial board, approved a measure expressing “strong objection” to the proposed project, saying it would be “inimical to the economic and social conditions” of residents in the province.

In October 2024, the local government of Malay also adopted a resolution stating that it “has never favorably endorsed” the construction of the bridge.

It further clarified that no formal proposal, request, or application had been received, and that no prior consultation had been conducted regarding the project.

Malay subsequently passed another resolution in 2025 removing the proposed Caticlan-Boracay Bridge from the municipality’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Annual Investment Plan, effectively excluding it from local development priorities.

Despite these objections, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) awarded the project to San Miguel Holdings Corp., the infrastructure arm of SMC.

The DPWH issued a notice of award to San Miguel Holdings Corp. on March 30 for the project, which carries an approved total cost of PHP 7.78 billion, inclusive of financing costs.

The dispute is the latest flashpoint in a project that has drawn broad local resistance.

A resolution unanimously approved by Aklan’s 17 mayors urged the DPWH to reconsider the 2.54-kilometer bridge, warning it could alter coastal and marine ecosystems, including water flow patterns, coral reefs, and fish habitats.

The Caticlan-Boracay Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative has said about 40 employees and 414 boatmen — along with 2,200 dependents — could lose their livelihood if ferry services are replaced by the bridge.

Boracay operates under strict carrying-capacity limits imposed after the island’s six-month closure for rehabilitation in 2018.