The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Saturday said the declaration of a state of calamity in Eastern Visayas will address logistical and economic challenges posed by load restrictions on the San Juanico Bridge.

This is based on the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare the entire region in a state of calamity.

OCD spokesperson Director Chris Noel Bendijo said the declaration will speed up the release of the much needed funds and enable immediate rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge and restore vital logistics and public services.

 “The sooner that we repair the San Juanico Bridge, the sooner that our commerce, supplies, and logistics will be back to normal,” Bendijo said in an interview on DZMM Teleradyo. 

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He highlighted that alternative measures have already been put in place during the regulated movement on the bridge, including additional roll-on/roll-off vessels, the restoration of old ports, and free transport and passenger support.

 “But this may not suffice, and we don’t want our suppliers to incur additional costs because this might impact the prices of goods,” said Bendijo.

 “The declaration will enable us to access the appropriate funds for the bridge repair. We can also fix the other ports for additional options to maintain connectivity between Samar and Leyte.”

 When asked about the potential funding for the bridge rehabilitation, Bendijo explained they will defer to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). 

“They are the ones who can tell how much money is needed for the repair, and the OCD will study it and verify this and endorse it to the NDRRMC, which will in turn make the suggestion to the Office of the President,” he said.

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 The OCD is also coordinating with the Department of Trade and Industry, which has imposed a price freeze to control the costs of basic commodities amid the expected supply chain disruptions.

 “We are also looking at subsidizing other expenses to ease the plight of our countrymen and the flow of business,” he said.

 The load limit on the San Juanico Bridge, in effect since May 15, has stranded over 200 vehicles and is projected to cause between P300 million and P600 million in monthly economic losses.