“Any man who wants to be president is either an egomaniac or crazy.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower

COVID-19 pandemic will always be a convenient and, perhaps, the most “justifiable” excuse if the Duterte administration will not implement the construction of the ambitious Iloilo–Guimaras–Negros–Cebu Link Bridge while the Filipinos struggle to overcome the coronavirus tragedy and the government prioritizes the grand plan to rescue the slumping economy.

In other words, the mega bridge, with a total length of 4,000 m (13,000 ft) (Phase I); 12,000 m (39,000 ft) (Phase II); 8,000 m (26,000 ft) (Phase III) that crosses the Iloilo Strait (Phase I); Guimaras Strait (Phase II); Tañon Strait (Phase III), might never be realized under President Duterte’s centerpiece program, “Build! Build! Build! (BBB) Program”, that aims to usher the “Golden age of infrastructure” in the Philippines until the next administration takes over, or until the COVID-19 pandemic will cease to be the Filipinos’ nightmare.

In any given situation, major concerns like the well-being and health of the people will always be the top priority by any government.

The funds needed to purchase the vaccines are more urgent and important, and the funds set aside for the mega projects can be sacrificed, if necessary, to pave the way for the survival of the people.

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The mammoth project that will involve four big islands: Panay, Guimaras, Negros, Cebu might not be totally shelved, but it won’t certainly be in the front seat of the government’s infrastructure programs next year even if a budget had already been set aside as confirmed by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which had announced the timetable for the project’s groundworks as early as 2018.

Even if President Duterte were from Panay or Negros, he still couldn’t force the issue because his hands were tied and the sudden turn of events was beyond his control.

In this idiosyncratic circumstance where everything is still unpredictable, the President can bring the horse to the river, but can’t force it to drink the water.

Coronavirus has almost become a universal catastrophe, not just a Philippine affair.

The Philippine economy actually ranked among the best performers in Asia before the pandemic.

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Former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and National Economic Development Authority (Neda) chief Ernesto M. Pernia said they are well underway to covering most of the items in the new list of flagship projects — airports, bridges, highways and other ports, water ports and seaports. Mr. Duterte’s managers have reportedly expanded the “Build, Build, Build” pipeline, which now includes more than 100 big-ticket infrastructure projects.

If Ilonggos and Cebuanos really wish to expedite the construction of the mega-bridge in 2022 when Mr. Duterte has exited, all they need is to elect Senator Franklin Drilon as president.

A President Drilon can fast-track the implementation of such a gargantuan project—only if there will be no more pandemic, or if the people will no longer need the vaccines to be purchased by the Philippine government starting 2021, and which will eat up a large chunk of the national budget and gobble up the funds intended for other state expenditures depending on the COVID-19 pandemic’s length of destruction to the human lives.

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A President Drilon, who is a true-blooded Ilonggo, won’t allow a situation where he will be accused of ningas cogon if he can’t begin his charity at home, so to speak, once he occupies the top Malacanang portfolio.

Even if he’s only a legislator, Drilon has successfully transformed Iloilo City as the new Singapore in terms of infrastructure development and tourism; he is now a cinch away from masterminding Iloilo City’s giant leap from a fastest-growing economy to become the mecca of trade and investment in collaboration with Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Trenas and the Iloilo Business Club, among other stakeholders.

In the recent Iloilo Investment Forum at Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo in Mandurriao district, Iloilo City, Drilon disclosed that he had proposed a budget of P800 million for the construction of the North Iloilo River Avenue.

The big project will be a four-lane, 5.5-kilometer thoroughfare complete with an esplanade and a bike lane, according to the senator. From Molo district, and will lead to the Megaworld Boulevard.

It is expected to provide better access for the development of the Municipality of Oton as part of Metro Iloilo.

The author, who is now based in New York City, is a former editor of two dailies in Iloilo, Philippines