The San Juanico Bridge is the longest bridge in the Philippines, with a length of 2 km. It crosses the San Juanico Strait, bridging the islands of Samar and Leyte. It is also known as the Marcos Bridge, it is said to have been presented as a Gift and “Testimonial of Love” by the Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos to the first lady, Imelda, a native of Leyte.
It connects Tacloban City on the Leyte side and Santa Rita town on the Samar side. It offers many picturesque views, especially of the San Juanico Strait with its thousand whirlpools as well as the islets of the province. It is the narrowest strait in the Philippines & separates the islands of Samar and Leyte. At its narrowest point, the strait is only 2 km wide.
It is approximately 10 minutes from downtown Tacloban City and is accessible by passenger jeepney, bus, motorcab or private vehicle. Construction on the $21.9 million Bridge was started in 1969 and completed four years later.
How To Get There
Outside Tacloban Airport, ride a jeepney with the signboard “Downtown Imelda”. This goes straight to the new Tacloban Bus Terminal for the fare of Php50.
At the terminal, look for a bus or jeepney bound to any destinations in Samar: Marabut, Basey, Guian, etc. All these will pass by San Juanico Bridge. The bus ride costs less than Php20 while travel time is approximately 20 minutes.
Adventure in Leyte, Philippines 