Acknowledging the inconvenience caused by the ongoing rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday ordered the expedited retrofitting and complete restoration of the iconic structure, citing the growing burden on residents, businesses, and travelers in the region.

President Marcos said that more than PhP500 million has already been allocated to restore the bridge’s load limit to 12–15 metric tons by December 2025, which is expected to alleviate the current traffic and logistical delays.

Speaking at the grand launching of Phases 2 and 3 of the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) project in Palo, Leyte, the President acknowledged the mounting public frustration caused by the current restrictions on the iconic bridge that links the provinces of Leyte and Samar.

“Alam ko pong ramdan ninyo ang abala rito sa Leyte dahil sa kalagayan ng San Juanico Bridge. Mahaba ang pila, mabagal ang biyahe. Maraming naaabala,” President Marcos said.

The Chief Executive noted that while challenges remain, some improvements have already been made to ease traffic flow on the bridge.

Based on recent reports submitted to the President by the Coast Guard, transport of essential goods has significantly improved wherein perishable cargo now typically waits just one to two hours, while non-perishable goods experience delays of about two to four hours.

This waiting time is far better than the first time he visited the bridge where drivers had to wait for four days to cross the bridge, according to the President.

President Marcos emphasized the national impact of the disruption, stressing that even regions as far as Mindanao have felt the effects of restricted commercial traffic on the bridge.

“Kaya sa DPWH ay talagang tinutulak natin sila na bilisan ang retrofitting. Tapos para matapos agad nang maayos,” the President stressed.