P600M monthly loss seen from San Juanico disruptions

THE ongoing traffic disruptions at the 50-year-old San Juanico Bridge that connects Leyte and Samar islands could result in P300 million to P600 million in economic losses monthly, a business leader in Leyte said on Saturday, May 17, 2025.

“The economic losses due to issues with the San Juanico Bridge can be significant, considering its role as a critical inter-island link between Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,” said Wilson Uy, former president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tacloban-Leyte Inc. (PCCI-TLI).

“While we don’t have a specific official estimate without a formal economic impact study, we can reasonably foresee the following types of economic losses if the bridge continues to deteriorate or faces operational issues,” added Uy, who is also PCCI past regional governor for Eastern Visayas and now Leyte First District provincial board member.

While Uy said that exact numbers require technical analysis, the implications of the San Juanico Bridge bottlenecks could result in a conservative estimate of P10 million to P20 million a day in delayed cargo value, fuel wastage, business downtime, and tourism loss if traffic is significantly restricted or halted.

“Over a month, this could rise to P300 million to P600 million or more — a figure that underscores the urgency of national action,” Uy told SunStar Philippines.

Uy pointed out the impact of bridge traffic woes on the supply chain, as thousands of trucks carrying goods between Mindanao and Luzon via Eastern Visayas use the San Juanico Bridge.

“Any closure or delay could cost millions of pesos per day in delayed deliveries, spoilage — especially agri-products — and rerouting,” he said.

Aside from the foreseen increased transport costs, the situation will also threaten the regional economic landscape.

“If San Juanico becomes impassable, goods will need to be rerouted via more expensive or longer paths, increasing fuel, toll, and logistics costs. This cost is passed on to consumers, especially for goods entering Samar, Leyte, and even farther regions,” Uy said.

“San Juanico links Tacloban, a regional center, to major commerce hubs. A disruption will affect retail and wholesale trade; tourism, especially from Luzon/Samar side; and manufacturing and construction reliant on imported material,” he added.

As this developed, various concerned government agencies and private stakeholders have launched initiatives to ease the conditions at the San Juanico Bridge.

On Saturday, the Samar Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also resolved to recommend to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan the declaration of a State of Emergency in the Province of Samar, until lifted.

“Furthermore, the council passed another resolution requesting the Philippine Navy to provide a vessel intended to transport fuel, medical supplies, and other essential goods from Tacloban to Catbalogan, and vice versa, to ensure a continued supply amid potential disruptions,” the Samar Public Information Office reported.

In Tacloban City, a Mobile Command Center has been set up to serve as a hub for coordination, communication, and real-time reporting in areas affected by the bridge traffic situation.

“This is part of the response efforts of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Regional Office VIII, after the situation was raised to Blue Alert status by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council,” the Tacloban City Information Office said.

The department will establish a mobile kitchen to serve hot meals at the site for the stranded passengers, it added.

Private shipping companies also opened more routes for their roll-on/eoll-off (Roto) vessels, which serve as alternative transport services for vehicles exceeding the three-ton gross vehicle limit on the San Juanico Bridge. (Ronald O. Reyes/SunStar Philippines)