The inauguration on Friday of the PhP8.3-billion Panguil Bay Bridge project reflects the nation’s collective strength and determination to build vital infrastructure projects for the benefit of the people, President Ferdinand R. Marcos said.

President Marcos, who led the inauguration of the bridge, said the government, its partners, and other stakeholders had to surmount various roadblocks over the years to finally complete the project.

With the bridge’s opening, the President noted that more than two-hour travel time from Tangub City in Misamis Occidental to Tubod town, Lanao del Norte, is cut to just seven minutes, and will benefit more than 10,000 travelers a day.

“From the 1998 pre-feasibility study conducted on the bridge to the moment it broke ground in 2018, this bridge encountered very many challenges,” the President said during the project launching.

“When the pandemic hit—the DPWH had to pause, and had to recalibrate, and revisit, and create techniques and strategies on how they could move forward with this project. And just when they thought they could continue the construction of the bridge, funding issues stopped it again and slowed it down again. Pero hindi tayo nagpapatinag nang basta-basta,” he added.

The government and its partners worked double-time, pushed harder, and never lost sight of why they were building the bridge, he pointed out.