25-YEAR-OLD PROJECT: DPWH misses Dizon’s goal Kilicao bridge project stalls

By MANUEL T. UGALDE

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Bicol regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) failed to meet the July completion target set by Public Works Secretary Vincent Dizon for the long-delayed Binitayan-Kilikao Bridge in Daraga, Albay, raising renewed questions over the project’s history, cost and implementation.

The four-lane steel bridge, reportedly costing P257 million, is the third bridge project undertaken at the site crossing the Yawa River. Earlier bridge projects at the same location were either abandoned or reportedly failed shortly after completion.

An informed source said Dizon should look beyond the delayed completion of the latest bridge and examine why a four-lane imported steel bridge costing P257 million was programmed for a route serving five upper barangays of Daraga.

The bridge is intended to provide reliable access to the agricultural communities in the upper Mayon area, which have long been isolated during heavy rains when the Yawa spillway becomes impassable.

The lack of a permanent and dependable crossing had also been cited in the decision of the Isarog Pulp and Paper Company to relocate from the area to Sorsogon, according to local sources.

Dizon’s July deadline

Dizon inspected the stalled Binitayan-Kilikao project in April amid scrutiny of its implementation. The project had been abandoned by its contractor while government investigations into allegedly anomalous infrastructure projects were gaining momentum.

During the inspection, Dizon directed Bicol DPWH officials, led by Regional Director Kadaffy Tanggol, to complete the bridge by the end of July.

The target was reportedly based on an engineering assessment and the availability of funds. The project, however, failed to meet the deadline.

The bridge has been dubbed locally as the “Bridge Too Far” because of the roughly 25 years that have passed since efforts began to establish a permanent crossing at the site.

A source also questioned why the P257-million project was implemented by the Albay 2nd District Engineering Office instead of the regional office, which normally handles projects exceeding P150 million. The source alleged that the transfer was made at the behest of a concerned lawmaker.

The same source questioned the decision to program the structure as a four-lane bridge, noting that even heavily-travelled national roads in Bicol, including the Maharlika Highway, still have two-lane bridges in some areas.

These claims could not be independently verified.

Earlier bridge projects

The first Binitayan-Kilikao bridge project was a two-lane, 126-meter concrete bridge funded at about P110 million in calamity funds in 2007 under the Calamity Assistance Rehabilitation (CARE) program launched after Typhoon Reming devastated Albay.

After an initial P40-million release, the contractor reportedly abandoned the project after completing only about 20 percent of the structure.

A second project followed in 2010—a two-lane, 50-meter Mabey steel bridge constructed a short distance from the first structure. DPWH records placed its cost at about P40 million.

The steel bridge was reportedly rendered unusable after strong flooding damaged or carried away portions of the structure, according to local accounts.

The latest project, contracted at P257 million, involves a four-lane imported steel bridge reportedly fabricated in China and undertaken by Hi-Tone Construction.

Hi-Tone was among contractors publicly identified by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his 2025 State of the Nation Address in connection with alleged irregularities in flood-control projects. The allegations and the contractor’s involvement in the bridge project should be established through appropriate government investigations and records.

Residents await completion

In early June, Albay 2nd District Engineering Office District Engineer Jose Karagdag acknowledged that his office might not be able to complete the entire bridge within the target period, although he said at least two lanes were expected to be opened to traffic by the end of July.

Residents of the affected communities expressed frustration over another missed completion target, saying the recurring inaccessibility of the spillway has affected the movement of people and agricultural products.

Daraga Mayor Victor Perete also voiced concern over the prolonged delay, particularly because farmers from the five upper barangays depend on the route to transport their produce.

Local media members who visited the construction site shortly before the July 30 target date reported that the two-lane portion was not yet ready for traffic. The absence of completed flooring raised doubts about whether even the partial opening could be achieved within the announced timeline.

The continuing delay has renewed calls for DPWH to provide a clear explanation of the project's status, remaining work, revised completion schedule and the circumstances surrounding the earlier bridge projects.

For a community that has waited for decades for a dependable crossing, residents now want more than another deadline—they want a bridge that is completed, safe and built to last.

The long-delayed Binitayan-Kilicao bridge in Daraga, Albay