TACLOBAN CITY – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is expected to lead the ceremonial switch-on of the San Juanico Bridge Aesthetic Lighting and Sound Project on Wednesday, Oct. 19.
Although there has been no confirmation yet, the President has been invited to the event, including Tourism Secretary Cristina Garcia-Frasco and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) Chief Operating Officer Mark Lapid.
The event will be highlighted by a 21-minute light show, with a synchronized performance of the Buraburon Festival of Burauen, Leyte and the Manaragat Festival of Catbalogan City.
No vehicles will be allowed to cross the bridge, particularly during the performance of the two festivals on the Leyte and Samar sides of the bridge.
The aesthetic lighting project was proposed to TIEZA in 2015 by Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan and the Department of Tourism in Region 8 (Eastern Visayas).
TIEZA allocated P80 million for the project and another P90 million for the boardwalk.
The installation of wirings and cables and the fabrication of LED lights were completed by Amigo Entertainment Technologies Inc. after over three years of delay due to the pandemic.
Tan sees the project as a big boost to the tourism industry and will help address insurgency in the province.
She added that it is expected to promote the province's identity through tourism with the national interest, as well as help the peoples' organizations which are the heart of the "Spark Samar," the province's tourism program.