San Miguel affirms Boracay Bridge plan still under discussion

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) on Friday said it has not abandoned the proposed P7.78-billion Boracay Bridge Project as further consultations will be pursued to “hear from a broader range of local stakeholders and guide the project’s next steps.”

SMC issued the statement following reports and social media posts that the company had backed out of the project.

SMC chairman and CEO Ramon Ang earlier told GMA News Online that the conglomerate is not backing out of its plan to build the 2.54-kilometer bridge project.

SMC said reports about its supposed withdrawal from the project “appear to have stemmed from differing interpretations of discussions during a May 13, 2026 meeting between its chairman and Aklan officials led by Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores, Rep. Florencio Miraflores, Rep. Jesus Marquez and Board Member Reynaldo Quimpo.

The firm said the meeting was part of continuing consultations on the project and focused on concerns raised by boat owners, transport associations, cooperatives, tricycle drivers, port workers and other local stakeholders.

These included possible livelihood displacement, outstanding boat modernization loans and changes to existing transport operations between Caticlan and Boracay, it added.

During the meeting, the company said Ang acknowledged the opposition expressed by the Aklan officials and said the company would not insist on pursuing the project if the host communities do not support it.

SMC said that Ang expressed that the project could be revisited in the future if concerns on livelihood, transport operations, access, safeguards and other local impacts are properly addressed through further consultations.

The company further said it has been consistently engaging stakeholders in good faith and will continue to work with government, cooperatives and local groups to study mitigation measures, transition support and livelihood programs.

SMC said the proposed bridge is designed as a controlled-access link that will support tourism while improving the movement of essential goods, waste, utilities, emergency services and regulated transport between Caticlan and Boracay.

The project is not intended to open Boracay to unrestricted vehicle access. Vehicle use would be limited to authorized vehicles under rules to be set by local and national authorities.

“The bridge will also not add hotel rooms, raise tourist caps or change Boracay’s carrying-capacity limits. Existing environmental safeguards and island-management rules will remain under the authority of the national and local governments,” SMC said.

“It is meant to complement, not replace, the existing boat crossing between Caticlan and Boracay. Passenger movement through the jetty port is expected to remain operational, while the bridge would take on functions better handled through a controlled land connection, including waste movement, cargo, utilities and emergency access,” it added.

SMC said the project can help reduce pressure on the marine corridor, where boats and barges currently carry not only passengers but also goods, supplies, waste and other essential services.

Boracay is home to about 40,000 permanent residents based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing.

Because most basic goods must be transported across the strait, residents and businesses absorb higher logistics costs that the bridge can help reduce by making goods delivery more efficient.

The bridge is also expected to improve access for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and residents with mobility limitations, especially during emergencies and for trips to the mainland for medical care, government services, work, school or family needs. — BAP, GMA News