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The Philippine Ports Authority temporarily waived the roll-on/roll-off fee for vehicles transporting goods between Leyte and Samar
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The measure aims to “ensure the unhampered and cost effective movement of essential goods and supplies between Leyte and Samar during the San Juanico Bridge structural restriction and the declared state of calamity”
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The waiver took effect on August 1 and will remain valid for the duration of the declared state of calamity or until the San Juanico Bridge is officially declared structurally sound for regular vehicular traffic, whichever comes first
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) temporarily waived the roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) fee (RRTF) for vehicles transporting goods between Leyte and Samar as Eastern Visayas remains under state of calamity.
The measure aims to “ensure the unhampered and cost effective movement of essential goods and supplies between Leyte and Samar during the San Juanico Bridge structural restriction and the declared state of calamity…” according to PPA Administrative Order (AO) No. 004-2025 dated July 28 and published on August 1.
The waiver under PPA Operations Memorandum Circular (OMC) No. 01-2010 took effect upon publication and will remain valid for the duration of the declared state of calamity under Proclamation No. 920 or until the San Juanico Bridge is officially declared structurally sound for regular vehicular traffic by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), whichever comes first.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. under Proclamation No. 920 last June declared a state of calamity in Eastern Visayas for a year (unless earlier lifted or extended as circumstances may warrant) to hasten the repair and rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge and mitigate the impact on the residents of Samar and Leyte.
DPWH last May started implementing a three-ton vehicle weight limit on the 2.16-kilometer San Juanico Bridge, which serves as the only permanent land link between the islands of Samar and Leyte, to make way for the bridge’s rehabilitation.
With the bridge’s load limit affecting passenger and cargo traffic between the regions, ports have become an alternate way for travel and transport to and from Leyte and Samar.
AO 05-2025 covers all self-propelled and self-driven Ro-Ro vehicles transporting essential goods, including but not limited to food, medicine, agricultural products, fuel, construction materials, and relief supplies—between the islands of Leyte and Samar via PPA ports.
This includes heavy cargo trucks (e.g. 10-wheelers, stake trucks, tractor heads and trailers), and delivery vehicles used by local producers, logistics providers, local government units, non-governmental organizations, and other relief/response agencies.
Marcos had earlier ordered the expedited retrofitting and restoration of San Juanico Bridge, and more than P500 million has been allocated to increase the bridge’s current three-ton load limit to 12 tons by December.
