OZAMIZ CITY — If plans pushes through the much-awaited Paguil Bay Bridge which will connect Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte will be completed on December 2023.
Misamis Occidental Governor-elect Henry S. Oaminal in his inaugural speech on Wednesday, June 29, said “I expect that the Panguil Bay Bridge will be completed on December 2023, that is one of the priority projects under the government’s Build! Build! Build! program.”
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) X in a statement last week said, the bridge is now 51.4 percent (51.4%) completed though the pandemic has affected its construction.
During his incumbency as the Second District Representative of Misamis Occidental, Oaminal, who used to be one of the deputy speakers for Mindanao said, “I always pushed for the budget and made some follow-up because I want us to experience comfort in our travel.”
Oaminal said the construction of the bridge was inaugurated during the time of then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but it was not pushed through due to budget constraint, it was funded and continued during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The bridge which stretch up to 3.17 kilometers was realized through the loan assistance from the government of South Korea.
The bridge is expected to connect Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte, which will cut the travel time up to seven (7) minutes only from Tangub City, Misamis Occidental to Tubod in Lanao del Norte.
As it is now, the travel time via the roll -on -roll-off (RORO) entails at least one and a half hour from Ozamiz City Port to Mukas Port.
If travel by land, the 100-kilometer road will at least consume two to two and a half hour travel.
The Panguil Bay Bridge is one of the 199 priority projects of the Duterte administration.-Neptalie A. Batolenio
