MANILA, Philippines — The government is turning to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help advance two ambitious infrastructure projects aimed at tackling chronic flooding in the Manila Bay area and creating a permanent land link between Luzon and the Visayas.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWGH) Secretary Vince Dizon, Bataan 2nd District Rep. Abet Garcia, ADB Director General Nianshan Zhang and other ADB officials, in a recent meeting, discussed the proposed Manila Bay Integrated Flood Control, Coastal Defense and Expressway Project and the Sorsogon-Samar Bridge Project.
The discussions come as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the DPWH to work more closely with multilateral development institutions to speed up infrastructure projects that can deliver long-term improvements in mobility, flood protection and economic activity.
The proposed Manila-Bulacan-Pampanga-Bataan coastal road-dike is intended to protect vulnerable coastal communities from flooding associated with high tides and storm surges while improving road connectivity among Metro Manila and Central Luzon provinces.
Initial project preparation is underway, with the ADB assisting the DPWH in technical feasibility assessments to guide route alignment, resource requirements, and financing options.
But the project will have to overcome the same challenges that have slowed many large infrastructure projects in the past—including land acquisition, environmental concerns, engineering complexity and financing.
The bank’s involvement is significant because project preparation—not simply construction funding—has often been a major bottleneck for large Philippine infrastructure projects.
Dizon and the ADB also discussed the proposed Sorsogon-Samar Link Bridge, a project that could fundamentally change the movement of people and cargo between Luzon and the Visayas.
The proposed bridge would cross the San Bernardino Strait, providing a fixed road connection between Sorsogon and Samar and reducing the country’s dependence on the Matnog-Allen roll-on/roll-off ferry route.
