The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) calls it a “lifeline” for Tacloban: a 2.56-kilometer causeway made to cut the travel time short from Magsaysay Boulevard in Tacloban's downtown area to Kataisan Point at the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport, spanning across Cancabato Bay.
With a ₱3.97-billion outlay, the project promises faster travel, added protection against storm surges, and new infrastructure that would symbolize resilience after Super Typhoon Yolanda.
But questions are mounting. Behind the glowing press releases and glossy renderings, civil society groups, fisherfolk, and watchdogs warn of a familiar pattern: oversized contracts, limited transparency, and alleged links to political-business networks led by contractor-turned-politician Zaldy Co.
A costly promise
According to DPWH documents, the project’s budget requirement is pegged at ₱4.77 billion, of which ₱3.97 billion has already been allotted. About ₱2.68 billion is obligated, and roughly ₱528.6 million disbursed, as of early 2025.
However, progress reports are inconsistent: one regional office cited just 5.16% completion, while another reported 20.42% accomplishment based on appropriations.
The causeway, now under construction across Cancabato Bay, includes four lanes, sidewalks, bike lanes, concrete canals, and wave deflectors.
DPWH says design modifications were made after criticisms, expanding the bridge span from 180 to 360 meters and adding five box culverts “to ensure seawater flow.”
Yet, despite these adjustments, skepticism remains.
Co’s shadow
Though no DPWH contract directly names Co, watchdog groups note the recurring presence of Sunwest Construction and Development Corp., a company tied to Co and repeatedly flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) in past projects.
In 2022, Sunwest and its joint venture partners were cited in COA reports for supplying overpriced laptops to DepEd, prompting calls for blacklisting.
Earlier, Sunwest projects in Bicol and Eastern Visayas were questioned for substandard flood control and roadworks.
“The people of Tacloban deserve transparency,” a local activist says. “If names like Co and Sunwest keep surfacing, then this is more than a local infrastructure issue. This is a national governance concern.”
A bay at risk
Environmentalists also said that Cancabato Bay, where the causeway alignment runs, could bear the heaviest cost. The Commission on Human Rights (CHR), in a 2024 press statement, warned that the project threatens both the environment and livelihood security of residents.
The bay is a protected mariculture zone, home to hundreds of fisherfolk and a focus of post-Yolanda mangrove rehabilitation projects.
“Mangroves are Tacloban’s natural shield,” the CHR said. “Disrupting tidal flow risks undoing years of community-led restoration efforts.”
Scientific studies back these concerns. Researchers from the University of the Philippines–Visayas found that mangrove loss in Eastern Visayas after Yolanda worsened storm surge impacts, and continued degradation could increase storm-related damages by up to 40 percent.
Local fisherfolk likewise echo the alarm.
“We are not against development, but if this project kills Cancabato Bay, it will destroy our livelihood,” said a fisherman from San Jose.
Transparency deficit
So far, no full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been made public, despite repeated demands from scientists and community groups.
The Tacloban City Council even endorsed a resolution urging DPWH to adopt alternatives that emphasize longer bridge spans instead of solid embankments, but these proposals have not been prioritized.
Meanwhile, documents show DPWH already issued at least one major civil works contract (No. 25I00142) and a consultancy agreement for geotechnical works. Yet the contracting trail remains opaque, fueling speculation about who truly benefits.
National implications
The Tacloban causeway reflects a broader dilemma: the government’s ambitious infrastructure push, worth hundreds of billions of pesos, often bypasses transparency safeguards while favoring familiar contractors.
Sunwest alone has bagged over ₱10 billion worth of flood-control contracts nationwide, according to reports.
For now, DPWH insists the causeway will move forward, backed by billions in taxpayer funds. But until procurement records and environmental assessments are released, doubts remain.
And for Zaldy Co, silence amid growing suspicion only deepens the shadow hanging over Tacloban’s most expensive infrastructure gamble.
Photo courtesy of Philippine Anti-Corruption Czar
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