By CESAR JOLITO III
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson described as “bad news” the decision of the South Korean government to suspend the P28.7-billion feasibility study on several rural bridge projects in the Philippines, which may directly impact the long-awaited Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Bridge.
“Definitely, it is not good news. Again, it will delay the aspiration of the Negrenses to have the bridge,” Lacson said in an interview.
“It is very unfortunate, but we cannot blame the Korean government,” he added.
The 32.47-kilometer megastructure is designed to link the islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros, with the Korea Import Bank pledging $1 billion for the 13-kilometer Panay-Guimaras section.
Reports earlier alleged that the suspension was tied to corruption involving Philippine officials, but the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Manila clarified last week that the decision was “unrelated to the Philippine government.”
“This decision was made solely to allow for the verification of matters that had been raised in Korean media reports,” the embassy explained, assuring that bilateral relations remain unaffected.
Earlier, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung ordered the suspension of a P28.7 billion loan, citing risks of corruption and poor project management.
Lee’s announcement, widely reported by South Korean media, raised concerns over “unnecessary waste” of taxpayer funds and flagged alleged vulnerabilities to graft.
However, the Philippine Department of Finance swiftly countered the reports, asserting that no official development assistance loan worth P28 billion has been signed or approved.
“The Department of Finance categorically clarifies that no such loan exists,” it said in a statement, effectively disputing South Korea’s claim of halting an active agreement.
The conflicting statements now cast fresh uncertainty on the future of the 32.47-kilometer PGN Bridge system, a flagship project under the Marcos administration’s “Build Better More” program.
For now, the fate of the Panay-Guimaras segment — the first 13-kilometer stretch — remains unclear as Manila and Seoul issue contradictory signals on whether the loan was ever finalized in the first place.
Already beset by delays — including a failed bidding in 2023 for its detailed engineering design — the project faces renewed doubts about its financing, credibility and timetable.
The PGN Bridge has long been touted as a “game changer” for trade and tourism in the region, but with South Korea’s feasibility study on hold indefinitely, the project faces yet another setback — caught between development ambitions.
Analysts warn that unless both governments reconcile their accounts, investor confidence in the country’s infrastructure rollout could take a hit./CJ, WDJ