San Miguel Says P7.8-B Boracay Bridge Project Not Abandoned

LOST in translation?

That seems to be what had transpired during the meeting between San Miguel Corp. (SMC) Chair and CEO Ramon S. Ang and official representatives of the province of Aklan when they discussed the former's P7.8-billion Boracay Bridge project.

In a news statement released on Friday night, SMC  said, “The project has not been abandoned,” and added that the conglomerate will hold more consultations with other local island stakeholders “to guide the project’s next steps.” SMC’s infrastructure unit, San Miguel Holdings Corp., was awarded the bridge system project after undergoing the lengthy unsolicited public-private partnership project process of the Department of Public Works and Highways, which began in 2016.

San Miguel Corporation's Corporate Information Officer Ferdinand K. Constantino, in a Philippine Stock Exchange disclosure dated May 29, also wrote:

"We advise that the apparent conflicting reports on the status of the proposed P7.78 billion Boracay Bridge Project was the result of differing interpretations of the discussions between Mr. Ramon S. Ang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of San Miguel Corporation and the officials of the Local Government of Aklan led by Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores. During the meeting, it was discussed that the SMS will undertake further consultations with a broader range of stockholders, including boat owners, transport associations, cooperatives, tricycle drivers, port workers and other affected sectors, to fully understand the different views on the Project and address the immediate concerns of the community."

The company made the clarification in reaction to Aklan Gov. Jose Enrique M. Miraflores’s recent announcement that quoted Ang telling the former’s group that the bridge project connecting Boracay Island to the Aklan mainland will be dropped due to public opposition. During a meeting with the island’s stakeholders on Wednesday morning at Henann Regency, Miraflores, quoting Ang, who spoke in Filipino, said, “We will not pursue the [Boracay Bridge] project if there is a lot of public opposition.”

The Aklan governor said he and his party met with Ang “for about an hour” on the latter’s invitation, on May 13, 2026, at 9 a.m., at the SMC headquarters in Ortigas. “It was a friendly meeting. He was welcoming and listened to us, as we presented the reasons we and the stakeholders are opposed to the project,” Mikaflores said in Filipino. 

But in its statement, SMC said there were “differing interpretations of discussions” during Ang’s meeting with Miraflores’s group, which included Aklan 2nd District Rep. Florencio Miraflores, Aklan 1st District Rep. Jesus Marquez,  and former Aklan Vice Gov.  Reynaldo Quimpo.

SMC said during the meeting, Ang “acknowledged the [group’s] opposition…and said the company would not insist on pursuing the project if the host communities do not support it.” 

But the SMC chair added that “the project could be revisited in the future if concerns on livelihood, transport operations, access, safeguards, and other local impacts are properly addressed through further consultations.”

SMC also clarified that the 2.54-kilometer bridge system is a “controlled-access link that will support tourism while improving the movement of essential goods, waste utilities, emergency services, and regulated transport between Caticlan and Boracay.”

Ang has previously told reporters that he owns several properties on Boracay, but will have to tap other resort professionals to develop or manage these. Esquire Philippines sources also intimated that Ang also owns property on Caticlan, the former Akean Resorts of the Alba family, which is adjacent to the Godofredo P. Ramos Airport. 

The tycoon’s Trans Aire Development Holdings Corp. is also modernizing said airport to upgrade it to international levels by further expanding the runway to accommodate larger aircraft and constructing a larger passenger terminal.

Meanwhile, SMC stressed that the Boracay bridge will be used by vehicles only authorized by local and national government entities, and will not lead to more hotel rooms or an increase in tourists that will stress the island’s carrying capacity. “Existing environmental safeguards and island-management rules will remain under the authority of the national and local governments,” said the company. 

The company likewise explained that the bridge will “complement, not replace, the existing boat crossing between Caticlan and Boracay. Passenger movement through the jetty port is expected to remain operational.”

SMC said the bridge will only handle waste movement, cargo, utilities, and provide emergency access to residents. This is expected to help the 40,000 permanent residents on the island to live more comfortably, for one, through an efficient and reliable delivery of consumer goods. 

For another, the company said, the bridge will enable island residents, including senior citizens and persons with disabilities, to have a more convenient passage to the mainland, especially for healthcare and medical assistance, work, school, and family needs. 

In a related development, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Boracay president Djila Winebrenner told Esquire Philippines, “I was grateful to hear the news of both Gov. Miraflores and Rep. Miraflores [regarding the Boracay bridge project] and appreciate that President Marcos was made aware of the concerns surrounding the situation.”

She added, “It is encouraging that these concerns reached the national level and were heard. We now look forward to official statements from Mr. Ang, San Miguel.  and DPWH to provide clarity for all stakeholders moving forward.”

For his part, Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI) chair Dindo Salazar said the stakeholders are “very happy with this development. Our core advocacy has always been, ‘Preserve what we have, restore what we lost,’ and we remain steadfast in that commitment.

He underscored that the group is “not against development, but it must always be anchored on environmental protection, backed by thorough and in-depth studies. For a project of this scale, even the installation of a single pillar could already alter the sea currents, and we cannot afford to be blind to the possible long-term effects on Boracay’s ecosystem.”

He expressed appreciation for Ang’s thoughts on the bridge project, “and thank most especially President Marcos Jr. for immediately being a bridge for our provincial leaders and ensuring that our strong opposition was heard.”

Gov. Miraflores said Ang’s lawyer got in touch with him to set up the May 13 meeting immediately after the former met with President Marcos Jr. in Roxas City on April 28, and informed the latter of the bridge’s approval. According to Miraflores, Marcos Jr. expressed surprise at the development and said he would immediately call Mr. Ang about it to emphasize that public consultations must be made on the project.

Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima (Mamayang Liberal) has filed a resolution calling for an inquiry into the bridge project and the approval process of the DPWH. Tourism Secretary-designate Ma. Bernadita Angara-Mathay and Acting Environment Secretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna have both expressed doubts over the project, and called for environmental studies to determine its impact on Boracay’s environment and residents.

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