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The Philippine Ports Authority said implementation of coordinated infrastructure, operational, and traffic measures to address cargo vehicles build-up resulting from the load limit in San Juanico Bridge has significantly improved traffic flow and logistics efficiency
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The Tacloban port, Leyte-Amandayehan port, Samar route facilitated 2,632 ship calls and 7,256 rolling cargoes from June to November 2025
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As of December 29, monitoring reports confirm the normalization of traffic conditions, with no truck queues observed along Tacloban Bypass Road and Amandayehan Port
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said implementation of coordinated infrastructure, operational, and traffic measures to address cargo vehicles build-up resulting from the load limit in San Juanico Bridge has significantly improved traffic flow and logistics efficiency.
The Tacloban port, Leyte-Amandayehan port, Samar route facilitated 2,632 ship calls and 7,256 rolling cargoes from June 2025 to November 2025, PPA said in a statement.
The route started in June as an alternative to San Juanico Bridge.
As of December 29, 2025, PPA said monitoring reports confirm the normalization of traffic conditions, with no truck queues observed along Tacloban Bypass Road and Amandayehan Port.
The improvement coincided with the partial re-opening of San Juanico Bridge to two-way traffic under a 15-ton load limit last December 12. Starting December 17, trucks and other heavy vehicles with gross vehicle weight of 30 tons have also been allowed to cross San Juanico Bridge one way at a time from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
READ: 30-ton vehicles allowed to pass San Juanico Bridge one way at a time
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in May 2025 implemented a three-ton vehicle weight limit on the 2.16-kilometer bridge, which serves as the only permanent land link between the islands of Samar and Leyte, to make way for the bridge’s rehabilitation.
The weight restriction significantly disrupted passenger and cargo traffic between the regions.
In response to the directive of the national government to establish an alternative transport route, PPA identified the port of Amandayehan – a fishing port in Basey, Samar – as a strategically viable interim alternative due to its location and proximity to Tacloban port.
To operationalize Amandayehan port for increased cargo and vessel traffic, PPA allocated more than P400 million from its corporate operating budget for targeted infrastructure interventions.
PPA said interim port operations at Amandayehan port were implemented through close inter-agency coordination with the Maritime Industry Authority, Philippine Coast Guard, DPWH, the local government units of Tacloban City and Basey, the provincial government of Samar, and Tingog Partylist.
Organized truck queuing and traffic management systems were established on both the Tacloban and Basey sides to regulate port access, loading, and unloading activities and to prevent spillback along major road networks.
Under a 24-hour operational framework, an average of four vessels were deployed daily along the Tacloban–Amandayehan route to transport diverted cargo trucks.
The PPA Port Management Office Eastern Leyte–Samar, in coordination with Taclobal port operator Globalport Tacloban Terminals Inc., ensured continuous monitoring of vessel movements, berth utilization, and cargo throughput. At peak operations, the interim route facilitated the movement of an average of 800 trucks per day.
“Before the year ends, the PPA would like to announce that the restored traffic flow has resulted in improved logistics efficiency, reduced turnaround time for cargo and perishable goods, and more reliable inter-island connectivity between Leyte and Samar, contributing to the stabilization of economic activity in Eastern Visayas,” PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago said.
