TACLOBAN CITY — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will lead the inauguration of the San Juanico Aesthetic Lighting project on 19 October which will also serve as one of the highlights of the 78th Leyte Gulf Landings on 20 October 2022.
Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan said the formal switch-on will also be graced by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco and Mark Lapid, the Chief Operations Officer of Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, which funded the P80-million aesthetic lighting project.
Highlight of the program will be a 21-minute light show and a synchronized performance of Buraburon Festival of Burauen, Leyte and Manaragat Festival of Catbalogan City.
Vehicles will not be allowed to cross the bridge during the program especially while the two festivals are having their performance.
The completion and formal inauguration of the project was long delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the retrofitting done on the iconic bridge.
The project was initially set to be completed in 2019 but was moved due to rehabilitation works including the changing of the paint from orange (the standard color of bridges constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways) to silver.
In 2020, the construction works were suspended for several months due to quarantine restrictions imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus disease Covid-19.
Last year, the bridge underwent a rehabilitation with the tightening of high-tension bolts in an effort to maintain its structural integrity.
Imee Marcos has already expressed her interest to celebrate her birthday on 12 November with supporters in Leyte and Samar and will have the aesthetic lighting serving as the backdrop of the celebration.
Tan, who is the brainchild behind the putting of aesthetic lights in San Juanico bridge, proposed the project to the Regional Development Council of Eastern Visayas in 2016 as part of its tourism program called Spark Samar. The idea was eagerly supported by then Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Romualdez, who was also then sitting as the chairman of the council.
DoT regional director Karina Rosa Tiopez said the aesthetic lighting of San Juanico will not only optimize the tourism potential of the bridge but will also spur economic activity in both ends of the bridge which are on the fringes of Samar province and Tacloban City.
Tiopez said inauguration of the aesthetic lighting hopes to attract more national leaders to visit the region and create more livelihood opportunities to people’s organizations that are promoting community-based tourism.
She said Senator Imee Marcos has already expressed her interest to celebrate her birthday on 12 November with supporters in Leyte and Samar and will have the aesthetic lighting serving as the backdrop of the celebration.
Tiopez said lights on the bridge can be programmed to fit the observance of special occasions. Last month, light on San Juanico bridge turned purple to observe the worldwide mourning for the passing of Queen Elizabeth.