Hopes for accelerated growth in Panguil Bay as bridge sets to open

by Alberto Vicente/ June 29, 2024

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — After 18 years, the Panguil Bay Bridge will finally be finished, and expectations are high, it would accelerate growth in the bay that straddles the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental.

Lanao del Norte Gov. Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo said the opening of the major infrastructure is a month or two away. The long-awaited Panguil Bay Bridge is set to open this August, according to governor, who is also the chairperson of the  Regional Development Council (RDC)-10.

“We are months away from the formal opening of the Panguil Bay Bridge, connecting the Municipality of Tubod in my home province of Lanao del Norte and the City of Tangub in Misamis Occidental. This landmark is a testament not only to the dedication of past local chief executives, but also to a committed generation of workers and public servants,” she said in her State of the Region Address (SORA).

The 3.7-kilometer bridge will cut to 10 minutes the two and a half hours drive from Tubod town in Lanao del Norte to Tangub City in Misamis Occidental. The P7.352 billion project, two-lane bridge constructed with South Korean financial assistance.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)-10 Regional Director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño said the Panguil Bay Bridge will be a game-changer, boosting economic growth in both provinces with fast movement of goods and the people.

“Dili na difficult ang pagbyahe sa mga produkto og mga tawo (It is no longer difficult to travel products and people),” she said.

Cariño added that the bridge could reduce costs for agricultural products from Lanao del Norte and increase access to services and education in Tangub.

Lanao del Norte grows a lot of rice, corn, and coconuts and has a thriving fishing industry. Efficient transportation would make it easier to sell these products to other places. Tangub City, on the other hand, could benefit from improved access to some service-oriented companies and educational institutions, such as the Northwestern Mindanao State College of Science and Technology, which could attract students from Lanao del Norte.

The Panguil Bay Bridge is one of the major infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways, aimed at strengthening regional connectivity and fostering economic development in Northern Mindanao.

Planning for the Panguil Bay Bridge started in 2006. Its project evaluation report was approved by the Investment Coordination Committee in October 2014. The National Econimic Development Authority approved the project in 2015. Actual construction work however started only in 2018, with target completion in 2021. The Covid-19 pandemic however pushed its completion three years later. (with reports from PIA-10)

 

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