Isko vows to build Iloilo-Guimaras bridge if he wins in Eleksyon 2022

Presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said he would build the Iloilo-Guimaras bridge if he wins the May 2022 presidential race.

The said bridge is part of the inter-island bridge project of the Department of Public Works and Highways which aims to connect the islands of Panay, Guimaras, and Negros.

Moreno promised this to Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Tre?as during Aksyon Demokratiko's courtesy call to the latter on Wednesday.

Tre?as asked Moreno to continue the project if he wins in next year's elections: "'Yung Iloilo-Guimaras bridge mas malapit ‘yun. They could have started that sooner. Pero walang galaw. Kung sakaling manalo ka, ituloy mo 'yun ha? Kukulitin kita."

(They could have started sooner with the Iloilo-Guimaras bridge. But it did not prosper. If you ever win in the elections, please continue this project.)

Moreno answered: "May awa ang Diyos." (In God's mercy.)

The Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PNG) bridge is set to be the longest in Western Visayas and one of the longest bridges in the country, with a length of 32 kilometers.

It will be divided into two components: the 13-kilometer Panay-Guimaras link and the Guimaras-Negros link which is 19.47 kilometers.

According to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the project will likely begin in 2025 and it is targeted to be finished in 2030. The DPWH has said the South Korean government will provide financial support for the project.

The construction of bridges is part of Moreno's Bilis Kilos 10-Point Agenda for Governance, which aims to serve as tourism circuits and tourism highways. He said connectivity among provinces and regions would certainly develop the tourism sector and would also turn areas into economic centers.

"Kapag iyon nangyari at naging sentro ng susunod na administrasyon na pagdikit-dikitin ang Visayas, hindi na lamang Luzon ang ating economic center. Visayas can be an economic center,” Moreno said.

(If this happens and if we connect provinces in the Visayas, it can also be transformed into an economic center like Luzon.)

Moreno had promised to continue the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration, together with his plans to build more vertical mass housing, world-class hospitals and modern schools that will also create employment for Filipinos. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News