BACOLOD CITY – Senatorial candidate Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao backs the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) bridge project for its potential to drive economic growth and create job opportunities in rural areas in Western Visayas.

PACQUIAO (Glazyl Masculino)

Pacquiao, speaking in a press conference of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas in Talisay City, Negros Occidental on Friday, Feb. 21, emphasized the need to balance infrastructure development with environmental protection, particularly the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in Pulupandan town, Negros Occidental province and Bago City, Negros Occidental.

“Part of economic development is improving transportation, and this bridge is a key infrastructure project that will accelerate progress but at the same time, we must protect our environment,” Pacquiao said.

He cited his experience with Task Force Kalikasan where efforts were made to ensure development projects did not harm nature.

Pacquiao pointed out new technologies that allow bridge construction without damaging coral reefs or critical ecosystems in other countries.

He said the government must exercise oversight to ensure ecological and biodiversity protections are upheld throughout the project’s implementation.

With the right planning and modern engineering, Pacquiao believes that infrastructure development and environmental conservation can coexist.

“This bridge will greatly benefit the people living in this region, making travel faster and boosting the economy,” Pacquiao said.

He said that with the country’s archipelagic nature, these projects are essential for national progress.

Pacquiao is confident that the administration can enact legislation that strikes a balance between growth and the preservation of the country’s biodiversity.

The anticipated P187.54-billion project spans 32.47 kilometers with two sections – Section A or the Panay to Guimaras section, with a length of 13 kilometers, and the 19.47-kilometer Section B from Guimaras to Negros.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao said that many jeepney drivers are reluctant to join cooperatives under the Public Transport Modernization Program because they are no longer controlled by those who understand the struggles of the poor.

Pacquiao, in a press briefing with fellow senatorial aspirants under the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas at Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City on Friday, Feb. 21, noted that some cooperatives are being controlled by big companies, leaving the poor behind and causing trust issues.

“This is reality,” he said, adding that this should be improved.

Pacquiao said that wealthy individuals hide within cooperatives to evade government obligations, which further discourages others from joining, despite their support for modernization.

“Huwag gamitin ang coop para magtago (Let us not use cooperatives to hide),” he said. Instead, they should serve the needs of the underprivileged, he said.

Pacquiao said that he would revisit the issue in the Senate and review how cooperatives are functioning if elected. Ultimately, the goal should be to ensure the cooperative system genuinely serves the Filipino people, he said.