IN October 2025, a proposed project to build a road bridge linking the island of Boracay to the town of Malay in Aklan was presented to the provincial board, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), whereupon it was swiftly and decisively rejected. The SP deemed the project, which was an unsolicited public-private partnership (PPP) proposal made by San Miguel Holdings Corp. (SMHC), the infrastructure arm of San Miguel Corp., “inimical to the economic and social condition” of the residents of Boracay. The SP also criticized the project’s government proponent, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and SMHC for not having presented the provincial government with any formal endorsement or application for the project, or conducting consultations with local government units and affected stakeholders.
Similarly, the municipal government of Malay, which includes Boracay, also formally rejected the project, as has the Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI), a nongovernmental group representing Boracay’s business sector, tourism workers and residents.
That should have been the end of it. Without the project being designated of having national-scale importance, and with no justifiable reason that it could be, the firm rejection of the local communities that would be affected by it should have been respected, and the proposal scrapped. After all, it was SMHC’s unsolicited proposal and not an initiative of the government.
Despite this, in total disregard for the will and well-being of the people of Boracay and Malay, the DPWH on March 30 awarded the 2.54-kilometer bridge project to SMHC. The bridge, which has an approved project cost of P7.78 billion, is pitched as an all-weather replacement for Boracay island’s ferries, providing a road link to the mainland for public transport, pedestrians, cargo and private vehicles.
In response to this incredibly imperious decision by the DPWH, the SP of Aklan on April 15 unanimously approved a resolution denouncing the DPWH’s action. The council also unanimously passed a second resolution asking the PPP Center to provide documents related to the proposal, bidding, negotiations and award process of the Boracay bridge project.
Even before the DPWH’s decision became public, the BFI on March 26 sent a formal letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., asking him to intervene to halt the project. “We are gravely concerned that the bridge will permanently alter Boracay’s physical character, weaken environmental safeguards, and threaten the livelihoods of communities whose futures depend on the island’s fragile ecosystem,” the letter stated.
“Boracay is already served by a reliable maritime transport system that effectively supports residents and visitors while sustaining thousands of jobs, making the proposed bridge widely viewed as unnecessary and misaligned with the island’s actual needs,” it added.
The letter also recalled Marcos’ earlier visit to Boracay during the inauguration of the new airport terminal at Caticlan, where he described boat travel as part of the island experience, saying: “Pagsakay sa bangka, ito na ang bakasyon.”
From an outside perspective, Boracay is regarded as the Philippines’ crown jewel of tourism, and that should be preserved as much as possible. The lack of road access to the island clearly has not hampered visitor access to it; if anything, Boracay may be a bit overextended due to the high number of visitors. Building a road bridge will lead to a massive increase of vehicular traffic on the island, with all the unpleasant side effects that comes with that.
None of that would matter, however, if this proposed bridge was something the residents and businesses on Boracay felt was needed to improve their community and its economic opportunities. An overwhelming majority of them clearly do not, nor do their mainland neighbors.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon should frankly be ashamed of himself for approving this project over the objections of those who will bear its consequences, and the appearance that some preferential treatment is being afforded to San Miguel and its “let’s pave everything” infrastructure business model is hard to ignore. If he is not as callous as his arrogant disregard for local needs and concerns suggests, he will immediately suspend this approval, at least until such time as a complete, transparent disclosure of all relevant documents, environmental, economic and social analyzes, and comprehensive public consultations with stakeholders are carried out. Otherwise, a legislative review of the matter, and loopholes in the PPP Code that permit powerful interests in Manila to trample on the needs and desires of local communities might be in order.
