Boracay Bridge remains on hold pending further consultations.
The Boracay Bridge is currently on hold pending further consultations with local stakeholders, with San Miguel Corp. (SMC) saying no final decision will be made yet on the fate of the project.
The company issued an official statement on May 29, a day after SMC chair Ramon Ang was quoted in news reports disputing Aklan officials’ claims that the project had been dropped.
SMC said the Boracay Bridge project has not been abandoned but is instead undergoing further consultation to determine next steps.
At a stakeholders’ meeting on May 27, Aklan Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores said SMC dropped the project amid strong opposition from local officials and communities. He said that Ang agreed to stop the bridge when Aklan lawmakers met with the tycoon on May 13.
The roots of the standoff
Ang then told GMA News that Miraflores’ claim was “not true,” also telling Bilyonaryo, “I don’t know why he said that.”
SMC says the conflicting accounts may have stemmed from differing interpretations of what was discussed at the meeting, claiming that Ang did not commit to stopping the project but acknowledged the concerns raised by opposing groups.
The ₱7.78-billion Boracay Bridge would connect Boracay Island to the town of Malay in mainland Aklan, spanning 2.54 kilometers over the sea.
Local government, indigenous communities, and environmental advocates have opposed the project over concerns of overtourism, pollution, and displacement—as well as allegations of bypassing local consultation requirements.
SMC clarified that the bridge would only be opened to authorized vehicles and not the public as a whole and is intended to complement the existing boat crossing between the two islands.
San Miguel Corporation has pushed back against claims by Aklan local officials that the proposed ₱7.78-billion Boracay Bridge project has been permanently scrapped, clarifying that it is merely on hold pending deeper community consultations.
radar Recommends
Protecting your business from infrastructure disputes and communication breakdowns
Never issue public project status updates without jointly signed memorandums. For enterprise project managers and local government liaisons, avoid releasing unilateral statements regarding the cancellation, suspension, or approval of major infrastructure assets following private dialogues. Always wait until a formal, multi-party Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or joint press minutes are officially signed and sealed by both corporate executives and local chief executives, preventing market confusion and protecting your firm from public relations fallout.
For hospitality investors and resort operators on Boracay Island tracking this bridge dispute, build flexible dual-supply logbooks into your procurement plans. Do not rely entirely on the potential construction of a land bridge to optimize your future resort operating costs. Maintain strong long-term service agreements with existing Caticlan maritime transport cooperatives while simultaneously designing your receiving bays to accommodate future automated electric shuttle drop-offs, ensuring your supply chain remains operational no matter which way the political wind blows.
