Latest news with #ProclamationNo.920
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Palace to Imee: San Juanico Bridge inspected only during Marcos admin
Malacañang on Friday underscored that it was only during the time of President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. that the San Juanico Bridge would undergo rehabilitation. At a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked for reaction to the statement of Senator Imee Marcos criticizing the supposed lapses in maintaining the bridge that connects the islands of Samar and Leyte. The senator even said perhaps she should have been the one who ran for President. Castro then said Imee has been a senator, so she should have known the budget of the previous administration for the San Juanico Bridge. ''Lumiliwanag po ba ang ambisyon ni Senator Imee Marcos? Well, anyway, naging senador po si mahal na Senadora Imee Marcos since 2019 at malamang po ay alam naman po niya ang naging budget ng dating administrasyon patungkol po dito sa San Juanico Bridge at apat na taon pong nagkaroon—kung hindi ako nagkakamali, apat na taon since 2018 up to 2022 ang administrasyong Duterte pero hindi nga po nagkaroon ng rehabilitation,'' she said. (Is the ambition of Senator Imee Marcos becoming clear? Anyway, Senator Imee became a senator in 2019 and for sure she knows the budget of the previous administration as regards the San Juanico Bridge and from 2018 to 2022, no rehabilitation was done.) Castro said it was only during the time of the Marcos administration that an inspection was conducted to check the state of the bridge. ''At dapat nga pong magpasalamat po tayo sa panahon po ngayon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. dahil nang nagkaroon ng inspection, doon lamang po nakita ang lawak na po ng danyos at dapat na kailanganing i-repair sa San Juanico Bridge,'' Castro said. (We should be thankful since it's during the time of President Marcos Jr. that an inspection was done to know the extent of damage to the San Juanico Bridge.) ''Sa panahon lamang po ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. ito nagkaroon talaga nang malaliman na pag-i-inspect para po makita na maaaring ito po ay hindi na magandang daanan at dangerous na po sa mga lumalakbay gamit po ang San Juanico Bridge,'' she added. (It's only during the time of President Marcos Jr. that a thorough inspection was made to see if it is still safe for travelers.) The recent assessment raised concerns about San Juanico Bridge's structural integrity. It temporarily prohibited vehicles weighing more than three tons from crossing the 2.16-kilometer bridge. Marcos issued Proclamation No. 920, placing Eastern Visayas under a state of calamity for a year, to facilitate the repairs on the bridge. The President said the state of calamity took effect on June 5 and may be lifted earlier or extended depending on the circumstances.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Imee trades barbs with House official amid San Juanico bridge condition
Senator Imee Marcos on Thursday criticized her cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, for the supposed lapses in maintaining the San Juanico Bridge, which connects the islands of Samar and Leyte. This, as House spokesperson Princess Abante on Wednesday questioned what the senator has done for the 52-year old bridge—a prominent project of her late father, former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. According to Abante, part of the advocacy of Romualdez, who represents Leyte's 1st district, is to ensure that there are enough funds to support the programs and projects in his constituency. 'Makikita natin na tuloy tuloy naman ang naging budget allocation para sa San Juanico Bridge for its maintenance rehabilitation,' the House spokesperson said. (We could see that the budget allocation for the San Juanico Bridge for its maintenance rehabilitation continued.) 'Siguro si Senator Imee, since she is very much concerned, kailangan din natin tanungin ano naging ambag niya bilang senador na kasama naman sa tungkulin niya ang pag-ayos ng budget ng bansa dun sa pangangalaga ng San Juanico Bridge,' she added. (Since Senator Imee is very much concerned, we also need to ask what she has contributed as a senator whose role includes allocating a budget to preserve the San Juanico Bridge.) Marcos, in return, asked Abante why she is looking for her contributions as a senator, and not directly ask Romualdez who hails from Leyte province. 'Ang San Juanico Bridge ay binuo sa administrasyon ng aking ama na simbolismo ng katatagan at pagtutulay ng kalinga ng pamahalaan papunta sa mga mamamayan. Ngayon, pinagdududahan ang tibay at serbisyo nito, pero ang hinahanapan ng [solusyon] ay ako pa rin,' the presidential sister said. (The San Juanico Bridge was built during my father's administration as a symbol of stability and bridging the aid of the government to the people. Now, its stability is being questioned, but I'm still the one being asked for the solution.) 'Bakit ako na senador ang hinahanapan mo ng aksyon, yang amo mo diyan nakatira, bakit hindi mo tanungin? Lahat kayo sa akin nakatingin—sana ako na lang nag Presidente,' she added. (Why are you asking for solutions from me, when it is your boss who lives there? All of you are looking at me—perhaps I should have been the one who who ran for President.) President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. has issued Proclamation No. 920, placing Eastern Visayas under a state of calamity for a year, to give way for the repairs on the bridge. The President said the state of calamity took effect on June 5 and may be lifted earlier or get extended depending on the circumstances. According to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the recent assessment raised concerns about San Juanico Bridge's structural integrity. It temporarily prohibited vehicles weighing more than three tons from crossing the 2.16-kilometer bridge. Despite the inspections of the bridge, the senator alleged that Romualdez and the DPWH did not do anything to maintain it. 'P451.4 milyon lamang ang alokasyon para sa rehabilitasyon ng tulay mula taong 2018 hanggang 2025. Ako pa mismo ang nagtanong kung saan linaan ang bilyong pondong nakalagay sa GAA - P4.7 bilyon para sa iba't ibang proyekto sa Maharlika Highway,' Imee Marcos said. (Only P451.4 million was allocated for the rehabilitation of the bridge from 2018 to 2025. I even asked where the billions of funds included under the GAA—P4.7 billion for various projects for the Maharlika Highway— will be allocated.) 'Bilyon ang linustay na pera para sa mga daanan na masayang pinagkakitaan ng kung sinu-sino pero ang mahalagang tulay ni hindi iniinspeksyon at puro pintura lang ang ginawa,' she continued. (Billions of money supposedly for the roads were wasted and used by others, but they won't even put focus on an important bridge.) GMA News Online sought a comment from the House leadership and the DPWH and will update this story once they respond. —RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DTI: Logistics firms 'signified' no rate hike amid San Juanico Bridge rehab
Logistics and freight companies have committed to not increase delivery rates amid mounting transportation costs due to the ongoing repair of the San Juanico Bridge, Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque said Wednesday. 'We talked to them (logistics firms), and they already signified that they will not increase any price to move the goods from point A to point B. And they will have an aggressive approach on this,' Roque said at the sidelines of the launch of the Department of Trade and Industry's Supply Chain and Logistics Center in Makati City. The Trade chief said freight forwarders also committed to 'no price increase, while there is a problem in San Juanico Bridge.' In a chance interview with reporters, Fast Logistics CEO Manuel Onrejas Jr. said freight forwarders have seen 'double the cost for now' as their trucks cross the San Juanico Strait via roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels while there is a weight limit for vehicles using the five-decade-old which is being repaired. 'We cannot absorb everything, we need to find ways to share the cost,' Onrejas said. 'The government should have backup plan through RoRo ferries. I think we need more RoRo ports, bigger vessels for RoRos,' he added. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued Proclamation No. 920, placing Eastern Visayas under a state of calamity for a year, to give way for the repairs on San Juanico Bridge. Marcos said the state of calamity took effect on June 5 and may be lifted earlier or extended depending on the circumstances. The 2.16-kilometer San Juanico Bridge, one of the longest in the Philippines, links Samar and Leyte provinces in the Visayas. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
Marcos orders regular 3-year inspections of San Juanico Bridge amid safety concerns
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. emphasized the need for routine inspections of the San Juanico Bridge every three years to ensure public safety, following reports of its deteriorating condition during its ongoing rehabilitation. Speaking to reporters during an inspection of the Amandayehan Port—currently serving as an alternate route for vehicles banned from the bridge—Marcos said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had flagged the bridge's structural integrity as severely compromised. 'We didn't expect the bridge to be in such poor condition,' Marcos said. 'Apparently, proper maintenance wasn't done. Inspections should be happening every three years, but based on what the locals told me, that hasn't been the case.' The DPWH has temporarily barred vehicles over three tons from crossing the 2.16-kilometer bridge, which connects the islands of Samar and Leyte. Built in 1969 and completed in 1973, San Juanico Bridge was a flagship project of President Marcos' late father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. To minimize the disruption to transport and commerce, Marcos said the government is implementing a system to prioritize the movement of perishable goods, after hearing complaints from truck drivers facing multi-day delays. 'We spoke to drivers carrying vegetables who've been stuck for three or four days. Without refrigerated trucks, their goods go to waste. We will now give priority to transporting perishable goods,' he said. Marcos also acknowledged that the rehabilitation would lead to higher transportation costs but assured the public that assistance will be provided to those affected, although not all cost increases can be covered. To facilitate the rehabilitation, Marcos issued Proclamation No. 920, declaring Eastern Visayas under a state of calamity for one year. When asked when the declaration will be lifted, he replied, 'When traffic returns to normal.'
GMA Network
10-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Marcos declares state of calamity in Eastern Visayas over San Juanico bridge fix
The 2.16-kilometer San Juanico Bridge, one of the longest in the Philippines, links Samar and Leyte provinces in the Visayas. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued Proclamation No. 920, placing Eastern Visayas under a state of calamity for a year, to give way for the repairs on San Juanico Bridge. Marcos said the state of calamity took effect on June 5 and may be lifted earlier or extended depending on the circumstances. The 2.16-kilometer San Juanico Bridge, one of the longest in the Philippines, links Samar and Leyte provinces in the Visayas. 'The declaration of a State of Calamity will, among others, hasten the repair and rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge, and afford the National Government, as well as local government units (LGUs), ample latitude to utilize appropriate funds for the repair and safety upgrading of the subject public infrastructure,' the proclamation read. Marcos ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in coordination with concerned LGUs to 'expedite all measures necessary to repair and rehabilitate the San Juanico Bridge fully.' The President also directed the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to assist the DPWH in identifying funding sources for the rehabilitation of the bridge. Further, law enforcement were tasked to 'undertake urgent response to ensure the safety of the people affected by the critical condition of the San Juanico Bridge, as well as all necessary measures to ensure peace and order in the affected areas, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations.' 'There is an urgent need to repair and rehabilitate the San Juanico Bridge to ensure timely delivery of essential goods and services and restore regional mobility,' said Marcos in a statement. The bridge was a project of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
