The Korean government is extending financial support to the Philippines for the realization of the proposed bridge that will connect the islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros in Western Visayas.
In a press release, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Acting Secretary Roger G. Mercado said the conduct of the detailed engineering design (DED) for the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Bridge Project will be undertaken “soon.”
Last Thursday, Oct. 28, the minutes of discussion for the financial support on engineering services, including preliminary and DED and procurement assistance required prior to the construction of the bridge, was signed by DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Management Office Operations (UPMO) Emil K. Sadain and Country Director Jae-jeong Moon from Manila Representative Office of the Korea Export-Import (KEXIM) Bank.
According to Sadain, the Republic of Korea “committed official development assistance (ODA) loan to the country through the KEXIM Bank – Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) to finance the DED of this immense flagship bridge project.”
The loan will be formalized with the signing ceremony scheduled in December this year.
The bridge project has two components: the 13-kilometer Panay-Guimaras section that will have a sea-crossing bridge length of 4.97 kilometers and the Guimaras-Negros section with a total length of 19.47 kilometers including sea-crossing bridge length of 13.11 kilometers.
The supplementary feasibility study report and engineering service provision for the project was approved by the NEDA Board’s Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee in August 2021.
Sadain said the PGN bridge “is a large and complex project which requires comprehensive and high-standard engineering works that service by consultants who have extensive experience in long-span bridge will help DPWH prepare the construction in an efficient and timely manner.”IMT
