SMC plans unsolicited bid for Boracay-Caticlan bridge

Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corporation is planning to submit today (July 11, 2018) its unsolicited proposal for a R3-billion bridge connecting Boracay island to nearby Caticlan.

In an interview, SMC President Ramon S. Ang said the bridge will help decongest and clean up Boracay as well as increase the supply of fresh water and electricity to the resort island.

While the gap between the two islands is 1.1 kilometers, Ang said the entire project will span about 1.9 kilometers. “It will be made of concrete and will be high enough so that ships can pass below it,” he noted.

If approved by the government, Ang said SMC can complete the construction of the bridge in two years, but it will take about 12 to 15 years for the company to recoup the investment.

SMC intends to generate revenues from the bridge from toll fees that will be charged to both vehicles and pedestrians as well as access fees from utilities such as sewage pipes, water pipes, power lines and telecommunications lines.

“The bridge will help alleviate the congestion in Boracay and reduce pressure on its limited resources,” said Ang explaining that the supply of fresh water from Caticlan will mean that resorts and residents no longer need to use deep wells to tap ground water.

He added that it will also be easier to keep Boracay clean by pumping out sewage to Caticlan while trucks can haul away solid waste that amount to as much as 170 tons per day.

Better power supply and telecommunications services are also in store for Boracay since the bridge will allow the use of bigger cables with higher capacities than those that are currently in use.

Meanwhile, Ang said pressure on the island’s resources will also be eased since some or most of Boracay’s 25,000 workers and their families can choose to relocate to Caticlan where cost of living is lower and just cross the bridge to their jobs in the resorts.