WHY would anyone build bridges across islands? Well, why not? The country already has the San Juanico Bridge that stretches from Samar to Leyte across the San Juanico Strait. Thats one of the sane deed that the late unlamented dictator Ferdinand Marcos contributed to Philippine society.

Then theres Japan with its Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge (Pearl Bridge) that links Kobe to Iwaya islands. Pearl Bridge is the worlds longest suspension bridge span of 1,991 meters across the Akashi Strait that separates these two islands. The infrastructure cost the Japanese government an arm-and-a leg at $3.6 billion. Was the public investment of Japanese taxpayers money worth it?

Definitely. Every day, 23,000 cars pass over a structure that must withstand earthquakes (a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit in 1995), consistently strong tidal currents (9 knots), and wind gusts up to 54 kph.

The Bridge has generated economic benefits in diverse fields, beginning with tourism and product distribution. Think tank calculations estimated an economic boost of 50 billion yen in the first year of the Bridges operations alone.

Is it farfetched to think that Western Visayas can replicate the feat? Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Maran Jr. thinks so. He proposed the interconnectivity among major Visayan Islands as a long term measure to decongest key urban centers, including Metro Manila. The concept is not new but a revival of the ideas of another Maran.

Then Negrense Governor Joseph Maran and other Visayan governors envisioned the Trans-Visayas Friendship Bridge to boost tourism, trade, commerce and investments in all three Visayas regions. There will be more traffic from both sides of the Guimaras Straits.

In Western Visayas, the connecting bridge between Panay and Negros Occidental would be the Tomongtong point in E.B. Magaloa town linked to San Juan Point, Banate town in Iloilo.

Unfortunately, our public officials are still talking the talk for eight years. Two years ago, real estate developer Vladimir Gonzles, who has been working with interested a Japanese investor on the PGN Bridges, said that based on the Master Plan of Japan International Cooperation Agency in 1999, the two bridges from Leganes in Iloilo to Buenavista, Guimaras and from San Lorenzo in Guimaras to Pulupandan in Negros Occidental will have a total length of 23.19 kilometers.

The distance is miniscule compared to the challenges of building Pearl Bridge. Its something doable within our social and technical level of development. The point is the technology is there, perhaps even Japanese investors and official development funds.

Regional Director Ro-ann Bacal lamented that Visayas is the most fragmented. If only we can connect Cebu, Negros and Panay, then we can be very strong. I agree. The division of the Visayas by the sea will lessen the obstacles to commerce and tourism.

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Trade, commerce, bridges