By Melvin C. Gascon
President Marcos Jr.’s visit on Tuesday to inspect the long-delayed Camalaniugan Bridge project has revived questions about its origins and funding amid the raging scandal of alleged corruption networks in government infrastructure projects.
The ₱2.4-billion bridge, which will link the northeastern and northwestern coastal towns of Camalaniugan and Aparri across the Cagayan River, was begun during the term of then Public Works Secretary and now Sen. Mark Villar.
According to sources, the bridge was reportedly conceptualized as a “gift project” for his wife, Social Welfare undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, daughter of Cagayan Governor Edgar “Egay” Aglipay.
The Aglipays hail from the town of Camalaniugan.
The project’s political lineage has placed it under a harsh spotlight amid new allegations of systemic kickbacks in public works contracts.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson has revealed in a privilege speech that under the prevailing corruption scheme, “proponents” of DPWH projects were allegedly entitled to as much as 20 percent of the total contract cost.
A “proponent,” usually a senator or member of the House of Representatives, is supposedly recognized for his or her role in sponsoring funds for the project, making sure this becomes part of the annual budget or the General Appropriations Act.
With a project cost ranging from ₱2.34 to ₱2.4 billion, that supposed “cut” could amount to nearly ₱480 million, raising concerns about whether the Cagayan bridge was influenced by patronage or profit motives rather than public need.
A Showcase Project — or a Symbol of Patronage?
During his inspection, President Marcos described the bridge as “one of the most beautiful” built under his administration, saying that it was locally designed and constructed to high standards.
He expressed hope that the project could be completed and opened to traffic by Christmas.
“The design was done locally, and even if it looks like bridges abroad, it’s proudly ours,” the President said.
The Camalaniugan Bridge is being built through a joint venture between Agafer Construction and China-based Hunan Road and Bridge Construction under a design-and-build scheme.
It was one of the projects wherein the Chinese were involved, which reached its peak during the administration of then-President Rodrigo Duterte.
Marcos thanked Cagayan officials for monitoring the project closely to prevent “ghost” or unfinished works, an apparent reference to the controversies surrounding the DPWH.
Delays, Cost Overruns, and the Collapse of Trust
Originally expected to be finished by 2023 or late 2024, the Camalaniugan Bridge has been plagued by delays.
Construction began in 2021 but was hampered by pandemic disruptions, supply chain problems, and the collapse of a temporary steel bridge that was swept away by the river’s strong current, according to reports.
As of October 2025, it would need an additional ₱260 million to complete the project, and completion targets have been moved back to January 2026.
The prolonged delay has drawn comparisons to two infrastructure failures in the region — the recent collapse of the Piggatan Bridge in nearby Alcala, Cagayan and the Sta. Maria-Cabagan bridge in the neighboring province of Isabela.
The two incidents left parts of the provinces isolated and exposed the poor oversight in bridge maintenance, fueling skepticism about the quality and integrity of public works in the region.
A Bridge Under Scrutiny
The Camalaniugan Bridge, stretching 1.58 kilometers, is designed as a cable-stayed structure, one of the most technically demanding bridge types in the country. It aims to ease traffic congestion by serving as an alternate route to the Magapit Bridge in Lal-lo, currently the only major crossing over the Cagayan River in the north.
Once operational, it is expected to serve around 6,000 vehicles daily, connecting Aparri, Ballesteros, and Claveria, and reducing travel time from Aparri to nearby towns to just 20 minutes.
Despite these projected benefits, local civil society groups have called for greater transparency in the project’s funding and bidding process, especially in light of Senator Lacson’s expose and the DPWH’s long history of “padrino”-style project endorsements.
Marcos’s Balancing Act
In Cagayan, Marcos walked a fine line — promoting infrastructure progress while implicitly acknowledging the system’s flaws.
“It’s good to see what government is truly capable of when every peso is spent properly,” he told local officials during his visit, a statement many interpreted as both praise and warning.
The President vowed to return for the bridge’s ribbon-cutting — but by then, the spotlight may have shifted from the bridge’s architecture to its politics: Who really benefits from billion-peso public works — the people, or the proponents? #
