Philippines: Longest cable-stayed bridge in the North opens

Manila: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spearheaded the inauguration of the Camalaniugan Bridge in Cagayan province on Thursday (January 8, 2026), marking a fresh milestone expected to supercharge connectivity and economic growth across Northern Luzon.

Spanning the mighty Cagayan River, this 1.4-km marvel links the bustling municipalities of Camalaniugan and Buguey (both in Cagayan province) slashing travel times and unlocking trade routes long hampered by ferries and seasonal floods.

In his speech, Marcos declared the ₱2.3-billion ($38.9 million) project a blueprint for the nation's bridge-building blitz.

"This will serve as a model for many of the other bridge projects that we will be seeing around the country," he said, crediting the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for delivering it on time and on budget amid tough terrain and weather challenges.

The all-weather structure boasts cutting-edge safety features, including earthquake-resistant piers and wide lanes for seamless traffic flow, ensuring resilience against typhoons that batter the region yearly.

Marcos painted a vivid picture of prosperity ahead: "I am sure that through this bridge, the economy on both sides will change."

He spotlighted a surge in job creation, new businesses sprouting along the route, and faster goods movement for farmers hauling rice, corn, and fish to markets.

"This will give many opportunities in the surrounding areas... And I’m sure that you will feel the effects—the economic effects—in a very short time," the president promised, nodding to Cagayan's agri-rich valleys now primed for export booms.

The bridge ties into the MacArthur Highway upgrades and Cagayan Valley's master plan for food security and tourism.

Local leaders hailed it as a "lifeline," with Governor Manuel Mamba noting it could double provincial GDP contributions within years by easing logistics costs by 30-40%.

DPWH reaffirmed commitments to 13 more Luzon bridges by 2028, all engineered to global standards.

Construction of the Camalaniugan Bridge broke ground in 2021.

The project, under DPWH and funded by the national government, and undertaken by Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd of China together with its Philippine counterpart, the Agafer Construction and Trading.

The Camalaniugan Bridge is about 574 km north of the capital Manila. It was initially due to open by end-2024.