EDITORIAL – Dashed hope

Two major infrastructure undertakings aimed at helping further revolutionize the booming economy of Central Visayas are in danger of being scrapped by the national government over feasibility problems.

Engineering problems resulted in the exclusion from the Duterte administration’s “Build, build, build” program of the proposed bridge projects that would link the province of Cebu to the provinces of Bohol and Negros Oriental.

The Cebu-Bohol bridge and the Cebu-Negros bridge, projected to cost at least P71 billion, are not on the new list of the national government‘s priority projects because of the depth of the sea, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways Central Visayas.

This is really sad news for the inhabitants of the region who, for years, have been looking forward to seeing the two bridges established, hoping that the projects will further boost ties between the three provinces.

Of course, if realized, the two bridges will definitely boost the economies of Cebu, the two provinces, and the rest of the region, since these linkages will promote easy access between the three islands.

Easy access means an increase in visitor traffic, which will only translate to a boom in the tourism industry. We all know that Cebu, Bohol, and Negros Oriental are just three of the country’s top tourist destinations.

Besides, these bridges will certainly make Bohol and Negros Oriental ideal sites for business. As of now, only Cebu has been getting a lot of investments among the region’s four provinces since it has the infrastructure, being the hub of commerce in the country outside Metro Manila.

The proposal to link the three provinces through bridges has been put forward since past administrations. These infrastructure are expected to be vital to the region’s economic development. But it’s very unfortunate that the absence of technology for their realization dashes our hopes for closer ties with our neighbors.