INFRASTRUCTURE WATCH: DPWH misses bridge completion target

By MANUEL T. UGALDE

LEGAZPI CITY --- Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon has yet to meet the three-month target he set for the completion of the long-delayed Binitayan-Kilikao Bridge project in Daraga, Albay, a structure that has faced repeated setbacks over the past two decades.

The bridge project, estimated at around P250 million, spans the Yawa River and is intended to connect upland barangays near the boundary of Camarines Sur.

During a visit to Albay in April, Dizon directed DPWH Regional Director Kadaffy Tanggol to complete the bridge within three months, citing the need to address delays hounding the infrastructure project. The bridge was targeted for opening in July.

Records from local officials and previous reports showed that at least three bridge structures had been attempted in the Binitayan-Kilikao area since 2007.

The first bridge project, reportedly funded through calamity funds in that year, was allegedly left unfinished after only partial completion. A second steel bridge constructed in 2009 later collapsed following heavy flooding.

The current four-lane steel bridge project, with components reportedly fabricated in China, was halted in March 2025 despite an original target completion date of October 2025.

The project contractor has been publicly linked in reports to businessman and former party-list representative.

During the April inspection, Albay Governor Noel Rosal said additional funding of about P50 million may still be needed to make the bridge fully passable.

In an interview on June 23, Albay 2nd District Engineer Jose Angelo Karagdag acknowledged that the July completion target may not be achieved.

“Hopefully we could finish the said bridge and have it passable, however, under a two-lane only,” Karagdag said, noting that unforeseen circumstances could further affect the timeline.

Karagdag, however, maintained that the remaining contract amount under the project’s P257 million allocation would still be sufficient to complete the bridge without requiring additional funds.

The Binitayan-Kilikao crossing has long been considered important for residents of several upland barangays and former workers of the Isarog Pulp and Paper Company, which previously operated in the area before relocating to Sorsogon in 2007.

Residents have repeatedly raised concerns over accessibility during heavy rains, particularly when floodwaters make the nearby spillway impassable.

MOCKINGLY dubbed Albay’s ‘tourist spot,’ the unfinished Binitayan-Kilikao Bridge remains one of Bicol’s longest-delayed infrastructure projects. The roadside sign has been there since 2007, yet construction still has not progressed. Photo courtesy of Manny Ugalde