Environment

Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridge Suspended: A Victory for the Guimaras Strait and Irrawaddy Dolphins

Published

1 year ago

September 11, 2025

Iloilo City- The Panay–Guimaras–Negros (PGN) Bridge, a 32.47-kilometer project connecting the islands of Panay, Guimaras, and Negros, has hit a significant setback. Preparatory works, including soil testing with machine drillers, began in early 2025. Construction of Section A, linking Leganes, Iloilo to Buenavista, Guimaras with a 4.97-kilometer sea-crossing, is supposedly set to start in July 2026, followed by Section B, connecting San Lorenzo, Guimaras to Pulupandan, Negros Occidental with a 13.11-kilometer sea-crossing, aiming for full completion by 2030. As of today, however, the Korean government has suspended its Official Development Assistance (ODA) over concerns of potential misuse and corruption amid recent infrastructure scandals in the Philippines, raising questions about possible delays and the project’s overall viability. Immediately, the Department of Finance (DOF) clarified that “no such loan exists,” amid varying statements from the Korean government.

While the bridge is a way to boost the economy, the environment should not be the one suffering. We are in a climate crisis and environmental protection should be prioritized as it is a nature-based solution. We, at Mangrove Matters PH, see this as a victory to safeguard our precious marine resources and Irrawaddy Dolphins in the Guimaras Strait.

To amplify the demands of the Earth Island Institute Asia-Pacific in saving the Irrawaddy Dolphin Subpopulation in Guimaras Strait:

Declare the entire habitat of the Irrawaddy dolphins as a Marine Protected Area (MPA).
Declare no-boat/slow- boat zones; declare no fishing areas and/or regulate fishing gears; regular and active patrolling of bantay dagat, and; investigation of marine pollutants, among other initial actions.
Immediately convene the MPA Management Board to be headed by the local governments of Bago City, the Municipality of Pulupandan and the Province of Negros Occidental to finalize and implement management plans for the conservation of the Irrawaddy dolphins;
Ensure intensive, regular, and year-round monitoring of the Irrawaddy, habitat, including all waters emptying into the Guimaras Strait;
Coordination with all fisherfolk communities in the establishment of the Marine Protected Area for Irrawaddy dolphins;
Immediate livelihood support for the fisherfolk who will be affected by the Marine Protected Area

The Philippine government must act decisively to tackle corruption and ensure transparency in major infrastructure projects, especially since they involve the taxpayers’ money. It must also heed the voices of the people, prioritizing environmental protection and sustainable development across all government initiatives. We demand better because we deserve better.

The Guimaras Strait in the Visayan Sea covers the islands of Panay, Guimaras, and Negros and it is considered an important fishing ground with an average annual fish production of 50,000 metric tons, recognized as an Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) due to the existing declining subpopulation of Critically Endangered Irrawaddy Dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris). This dolphin was reported to have a subpopulation of roughly 9-19 individuals remaining in 2016 and threats to this species are loss of habitat, accidental boat strikes, and pollution. Additionally, the coastal habitats in the strait, including mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrasses, offer vital ecosystem services and serve as sources of livelihood and sustenance for our fisherfolk and coastal communities. Notably, the strait includes the Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area (NOCCWCA) which is declared as a Ramsar Site or wetlands of international importance, harboring thousands of migratory waterbird individuals during migration season.

The proposed suspended bridge could have caused potential ecological and socioeconomic impacts to the people and the environment. The construction alone of the bridge alignment could have caused mangrove degradation within the wetlands – threatening precious wildlife. Furthermore, the strait is a habitat for the Irrawaddy Dolphins, and construction of the bridge would ultimately promote noise pollution, which can cause stress to the marine mammals and possible mortality. Knowing that the subpopulation is declining, we don’t want this species to be extinct.