President Rodrigo Roa Duterte led the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of 3.77-kilometers Panguil Bay Bridge Project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) connecting Tangub City, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao del Norte across Panguil Bay in Northern Mindanao.
With the President at capsule laying ceremony held Wednesday, November 28, 2019 in Tubod, Lanao Del Norte are DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar; Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Han Dong-Man; DPWH Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain; Lanao del Norte Governor Imelda Quinranza- Dimaporo; Lanao del Norte 2nd District Representative Abdullah Dimaporo; Lanao del Norte 1st District Representative Mohamad Khalid Q. Dimaporo; Misamis Occidental Governor Herminia Ramiro; Misamis Occidental 2nd District Representative Henry S. Oaminal; Tubod, Lanao Del Norte Mayor Leoncio Bagol; and Project Director Sharif Madsmo Hasim of DPWH Unified Projects Management Office-Roads Management Cluster 2.
The P7.35 Billion Panguil Bay Bridge Project funded by a loan agreement between the Philippine Government and Korean Export Import Bank is in line with the President Duterte administration’s aggressive thrust to accelerate infrastructure development through Build Build Build program.
The project for the design and construction of Panguil Bay Bridge will be under the supervision of DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations led by Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain with Project Director Sharif Madsmo Hasim and Project Manager Teresita Bauzon of DPWH UPMO – Roads Management Cluster II as in-charge of implementing this mega bridge project.
Secretary Villar said that the construction of Panguil Bay Bridge will not just connect Tangub City and Tubod but will also contribute to Mindanao’s quest to spur vibrant economic activity with an efficient and reliable road transportation network.
Upon completion in November 2021, land travel between Tangub City, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao del Norte will only take seven (7) minutes – a huge travel time saving from the present 2 to 2.5 hour travel either via Roll-on, Roll-off (RORO) vessel or the 100-kilometer land travel through Panguil Bay Road.
With its 2.36 kilometers bridge and 1.41 kilometers road approaches for a total length of 3.77 kilometers, Panguil Bay Bridge will soon be the new longest bridge exceeding by 1.61-kilometer the present longest bridge in the Philippines – the 2.16-kilometer San Juanico Bridge connecting Samar and Leyte Provinces in Eastern Visayas, said DPWH Undersecretary Sadain.