The Cebu provincial government has started the full repair and rehabilitation of 13 bridges in the north that were damaged by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake seven and a half months ago.
The rehabilitation, under the Capitol and managed by the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO), aims to restore safe and reliable passage across the fourth and fifth districts.
Although the earthquake occurred on September 30, 2025, major construction work has only recently begun.
According to PEO Head Hector Jamora, the delay was necessary to ensure the ground had stabilized and would no longer shift.
"We had to wait for the ground to stabilize; otherwise, our designs would keep changing," Jamora said in an interview with SunStar Cebu on Friday, May 15, 2026.
Aftershocks continued until early April, and engineers monitored the stability of riverbanks and water levels.
Jamora also cited the time needed for planning and obtaining environmental permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), especially for bridges near mangrove areas.
The PEO identified four provincial bridges currently under repair with a total project cost of P94.2 million.
These include the 35-meter Poblacion Borbon Bridge I (P38.9 million), 11.9-meter Poblacion Borbon Bridge II (P7.2 million), 24-meter Tabunan Bridges I and II in Borbon (P27 million), and the 19-meter Calumboyan Bridge in Sogod (P21.1 million).
These works are being implemented simultaneously with rehabilitation efforts for eight other earthquake-damaged bridges, amounting to a total of P159.7 million.
The other bridges being repaired are Cabica Bridge (P27.7 million), Cadaruhan Bridge (P26.6 million), and Tagnucan Bridge (P5.5 million) in Borbon; Poblacion–Suba Bridge in Daanbantayan (P33.3 million); Guadalupe Bridge in Bogo City (P20 million); Tabunok Bridge in Sogod (P18 million); Piyo Bridge in Tabogon (P16.8 million); and Lamintak Bridge in Medellin (P11.4 million).
Three contractors—WTG, Lcting Construction, and Jfap—are handling the projects simultaneously.
"Based on their contracts, since they are working simultaneously, they must complete them within six months," Jamora said.
The Capitol is funding the repairs because these structures are part of provincial roads.
Jamora apologized to the public for the continued use of temporary detours while the province works to make the bridges stronger than before.
In addition to the current 13 bridges, the province is also preparing further repairs for Aloguinsan, Ginatilan, and Compostela under the 2026 budget.
