THE STORY
BEHIND THE BEFORE IT FINISHES LINE
Top officials from the Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH), alongside local leaders from Misamis Occidental and Lanao del
Norte, held on July 4, 2024, the final concrete pouring ceremony between the
two (2) extra-dosed main bridge of the Panguil Bay Bridge Project (PBBP).
This significant event saw the participation of DPWH
Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan; Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain; DPWH
Undersecretaries Eugenio R. Pipo Jr. and Carlos G. Mutuc; Assistant Secretary
Rey Peter Gille; Misamis Occidental Governor Henry S. Oaminal Sr.; Lanao del
Norte Governor Imelda Quibranza Dimaporo; Ozamis City Mayor Henry “Indy” F.
Oaminal Jr.; Korea Export Import Bank (KEXIM) Deputy Country Director Yun Hak
Lee; Project Directors Teresita V. Bauzon, Soledad R. Florencio, Benjamin A.
Bautista, Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes, and Najib D. Dilangalen; DPWH Regional Office
10 Director Zenaida Tan; Stakeholders Service Director Randy R. Del Rosario;
and other public works and locals officials and staff.
The topping-off ceremony marked the completion of the
bridge’s pre-stressed concrete box girder between pylon 1 in Tangub City,
Misamis Occidental, and tower 2 in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, signifying a crucial
milestone for the project.
Secretary Bonoan highlighted the importance of this
milestone, stating that it brings the vision of a fully connected Panguil Bay
Bridge closer to reality, promising numerous possibilities for the nation.
In his opening remarks, Senior Undersecretary Sadain praised
the final construction stage as a testament to the dedication and hard work of
everyone involved, heralding a new era of connectivity and economic growth for
Mindanao and the entire Philippines.
The Panguil Bay Bridge, soon to be the longest bridge in
Mindanao at 3.169 kilometers, includes a 320-meter extra-dosed main bridge, a
1,920-meter pre-stressed concrete girder approach bridge, and a 929-meter road.
The bridge is expected to catalyze economic activities,
improve quality of life, and open new opportunities for trade, tourism, and
investment, significantly benefiting local communities and contributing to
national development.
The project is implemented by the DPWH Unified Project
Management Office (UPMO) Operations under supervision of Senior Undersecretary
Sadain and more specifically by the Roads Management Cluster II (Multilateral)
led by former Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim and now headed by OIC
Project Director Bauzon.
It was funded by a loan agreement between the Government of
the Philippines and the Republic of Korea through the Korea Export-Import Bank
Economic Development Cooperation Fund (KEDCF) under Loan Agreement No. PHL-18,
the Panguil Bay Bridge stands as a beacon of international cooperation and
shared progress.
Despite commencing civil works at the height of the pandemic
and facing significant challenges in weather conditions, material supply, and
health restrictions, the DPWH relentlessly pushed the design and build
contractor, Namkwang Engineering & Construction Corporation, in joint
venture with Kukdong Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. and Gumgwang
Construction Co., Ltd., along with the project consultant, Yooshin Engineering
Corporation, in joint venture with Pyunghwa Engineering Consultants Ltd. and
Kyong-Ho Engineering & Architects Co., Ltd., to exert their utmost effort
to accelerate the construction activities of this infrastructure flagship
project.
Costing ₱7.375 Billion, the project has an overall weighted
accomplishment of 93.3 percent and targetted for completion within this third
quarter of 2024.
