Manila, July 13 (Engineering Daily) -- Panguil Bay Bridge, a 3.48 km bridge connecting Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte, will start this year, DPWH Secretary Mark Villar announced in January 4. Project is estimated to be finished by 2019.
 

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) signed a memorandum of agreement with Korean firms for the consultancy services of the foreign-assisted Panguil Bay Bridge Project in Northern Mindanao.
 
Yooshin Engineering Corporation, in joint venture with Pyunghwa Engineering Consultants Ltd., and Kyong-Ho Engineering & Architect Co. Ltd., won the competitive bidding under the Philippine government procurement program to provide consultancy services for the project.
 
Under the agreement, Korean consultants shall assist the Department in conceptual design, preparation of bidding documents, design review, construction supervision, and post-construction supervision that started in June 2017.
 
DPWH Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain led the contract signing together with Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim, Project Manager Teresita V. Bauzon, Director Nimfa E. Potante and Chief Accountant Mary Antoinette Z. Puno.
 
The consultants’ side was represented by Vice Chairman Hyun Tae Kang and President Kuan Jung Joo of Yooshin Engineering Corporation; Vice President Soo Young Park of Pyunhwa Engineering Consultants Ltd.; and Vice President Ryu Jae Hun of Kyong-Ho Engineering & Architectects Co. Ltd.
 
Panguil Bay Bridge Project is a 3.48-km, two lane bridge that will connect the city of Tangub in Misamis Occidental to the municipality of Tubod in Lanao del Norte considered as the biggest and longest bridge in Mindanao.
 
It is expected reduce travel time between Tangub and Tubod from the usual 2.5 hours to 7 minutes. It will also significantly improve the travel time from Cagayan de Oro and Iligan to the cities of Tangub, Ozamiz, Oroquieta, Dipolog, and Dapitan in Zamboanga de Norte.
 
The national budget will fund PHP586 million of the total PHP4.9 billion cost for the construction of Panguil Bay Bridge while Export-Import Bank of Korea-Economic Development Cooperation Fund (KEXIM-EDCF) will fund the remaining cost through loan.
 
Panguil Bay Bridge is among the 75 priority project of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).