PGN bridge timeline reset, work starts in 2027 – DPWH

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Construction of the mega-bridge system linking Panay, Guimaras, and Negros islands is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2027 under a revised implementation timeline, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways in Western Visayas.

DPWH-6 Regional Director Denise Maria Ayag said on Tuesday, March 10, that Section A of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridge Project, which will link Panay and Guimaras, will be the first segment to be built.

Section A will consist of a 4.97-kilometer sea-crossing bridge and 8.03 kilometers of road approaches, bringing the total length to 13 kilometers.

The bridge will start in Leganes, Iloilo, and end in Buenavista, Guimaras.

Ayag said construction of this section will begin ahead of Section B, which will connect Guimaras and Negros, because the latter is significantly longer.

Ayag did not disclose the start date for Section B.

Section B will feature a 13.11-kilometer sea-crossing bridge, 5.49 kilometers of road approaches, and 0.87 kilometer of road connectors, with a total length of 19.47 kilometers.

The segment will run from San Lorenzo, Guimaras, to Pulupandan, Negros Occidental.

“We changed the timeline based on the revisions of the plan,” he added, noting that the alignment details are also being finalized.

Earlier project announcements indicated that construction of the Panay-Guimaras section would begin in July 2026 and be completed by June 2028.

However, Ayag said the schedule was pushed back mainly by critical documents needed before implementation, including land use and right-of-way issues.

Once completed, the PGN Bridge Project would be among the longest sea-crossing bridge systems in Southeast Asia, connecting three major islands in the Western Visayas and Negros Island regions and potentially transforming interisland trade, transportation, and economic integration across the Visayas.

The DPWH-6 chief said the detailed engineering design for both sections has already been completed following a series of meetings with project consultants.

“We conducted several meetings regarding the PGN bridges. There are two bridges, and the DED is already done. We met with the consultants about three weeks ago, so the project will proceed,” Ayag said.

With the detailed engineering design completed, the next steps include finalizing the project’s financing and implementation arrangements, confirming funding sources, and preparing procurement documents for the civil works.

In the 2026 budget of the DPWH, a total of PHP 443.5 million has been allocated as government counterpart funds for the PGN Bridge Project.

The project is classified as a foreign-assisted undertaking, with the bulk of financing expected to come from concessional loans from South Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund, administered by the Export-Import Bank of Korea.

South Korea has been one of the Philippines’ largest sources of official development assistance in recent years, with the Economic Development Cooperation Fund financing major infrastructure projects across the country, including bridges, railways, and flood control systems.

Budget documents show that the 2026 allocation will be distributed across three items: PHP 193.34 million for the main project, PHP 171.23 million for Section A, and PHP 78.94 million for Section B.