DPWH Awards P7.8-Billion Boracay Bridge Project to San Miguel Amid Persistent Local Opposition

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has officially awarded the P7.8-billion Boracay Bridge project to San Miguel Holdings Corp. (SMHC), despite persistent opposition from Aklan provincial leaders and Boracay Island stakeholders.

Official documents indicate that the 2.54-kilometer bridge project was awarded on March 25, 2026. On that same day, Acting DPWH Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon received a referral from Malacañang Deputy Executive Secretary Danielle Marie S. Riemann Culangen regarding a letter from the Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI).

"We respectfully refer for appropriate action, subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations, the attached letter dated 04 February 2026 of Mr. Dindo Miguel Martin F. Salazar, Chairman of the Boracay Foundation Inc., expressing their opposition to the proposed Boracay Bridge Project of San Miguel Corp. and requesting its suspension pending the conduct of the appropriate Environmental Impact Assessments and stakeholder consultations," it said.

In a follow-up appeal received by Malacañang on March 18, 2026, the BFI urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to "halt any movement toward the project" and "direct transparent and inclusive stakeholder consultations." The group highlighted several critical concerns:

Environmental Impact: The BFI warned the bridge could "permanently alter Boracay's physical character, weaken environmental safeguards, and threaten the livelihoods of communities whose futures depend on the island's fragile ecosystem."

They added that "a permanent bridge could disrupt water circulation and sediment flow, accelerating shoreline retreat and placing the island’s world-renowned white sand beaches and tourism economy at serious risk."

Economic Displacement: The group noted the island is already served by a maritime transport system that "effectively supports residents and visitors while sustaining thousands of jobs, making the proposed bridge widely viewed as unnecessary and misaligned with the island's actual needs."

Procedural Issues: The BFI underscored that the approval process "progressed without proper authorization from the Sangguniang Bayan (municipal council), which has since withdrawn its support and removed the bridge from [its] Comprehensive Land Use Plan, reflecting the absence of local consent."

The BFI also reminded the President of his July 2025 visit to Caticlan, where he remarked that "boarding a boat marks the beginning of the vacation experience." The group stated this sentiment deeply resonated with the community, affirming the ferry crossing as a defining element of Boracay’s identity and natural protection.

Following the awarding of the project to the Ramon S. Ang-led private company, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Aklan took formal action on April 15, 2026, approving a resolution "strongly denouncing the action of the DPWH" for awarding the project despite the "expressed opposition of the municipal government of Malay, the Provincial Government of Aklan, and multi-sectoral groups."

The board also requested the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center to furnish them with "pertinent documents on the proposal, bidding, [and] negotiations." Aklan Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores noted that during a February 2025 meeting, the President agreed there should be "consultations conducted before the project is implemented," adding that the province has "been waiting for the schedule of the consultations."

Meanwhile, Ang contended in a September 2024 briefing that local authorities were well-aware of the plans as early as 2016. "We've proposed the project a long time ago, and we’ve briefed them a number of times—the LGU, the barangay, and everybody," Ang stated, claiming the proponent had "explained it to them many, many times."

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