The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is going full blast on the construction of the Panguil Bay bridge, a 3.17-kilometer span that will connect Tangub City, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao Del Norte when completed.
Despite the ongoing public health crisis, the DPWH remains on duty, even with current restrictions in movement slowing their progress. Even with the pandemic, everything is now in place—materials, equipment, and construction workers—and they can now go “full blast” on the project.
Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain said that major bridge equipment by Korean joint venture contractor Namkwang-Kukdong-Gumwang has reached the project site aboard vessels from South Korea and Brunei. Among the available major bridging equipment are revolving cranes, tug boats, barges, reverse circulation drilling (RCD) machines, vibro pile hammers, and steel casings. Other land-based equipment such as concrete batch plant, motor graders, excavators, dumptrucks, vibratory rollers, and payloaders are also now on site, both in Tangub City and Tubod, Lanao Del Norte.
The DPWH Panguil Bay Bridge construction is part of the Build, Build, Build project of the Duterte administration, and is considered a major infrastructure development in Northern Mindanao. It will soon connect Tangub City, Misamis Occidental, and Tubod, Lanao del Norte. The project is pegged at P7.375 billion, P2.168 of which will be financed by the Government of the Philippines, while the remaining P5.207 Billion loaned by the Philippines from the Korean Export-Import Bank (Korea Eximbank).
The Panguil Bay Bridge will be the longest bridge in the Philippines. With a total of 3.169 kilometers in length, it will surpass the 2.16-kilometer San Juanico Bridge that connects Samar and Leyte in the Visayas region. Moreover, the Panguil Bay Bridge will be a 7-minute traverse alongside jaw-dropping scenery. It should be done by 2023 according to DPWH and will spur interisland travel in Northern Mindanao.
