Backpacking Philippines: Crossing San Juanico Bridge Unhampered by Heavy Rain

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Flight chronicles of the backpacker Tutubi, with travelogues, pictures/photos/videos, travel guides, independent and honest reviews, affordable, recommended resorts and hotels (including inns, guesthouses, pension houses, lodges, hostels, condotels, bed and breakfast and other cheap accommodations), commuting guides, routes (sometimes street maps and GPS coordinates/waypoints) and driving directions to answer "how to get there" questions, information and tips on tourism, budget travel and living in Philippines, Exotic Asia and beyond!

Backpacking, independent travel, and flashpacking are cheaper than the "cheapest package tours" and promotional offers around but you can also use travel information for family vacations, even romantic honeymoon destinations.

More than the usual tourist spots and "places to see," this blog advocates heritage conservation, environmental protection, and history awareness for Filipinos, foreigners, and ex-pats wishing to explore Paradise Philippines and Exotic Asia!

Crossing San Juanico Bridge Unhampered by Heavy Rain

With heavy rains offering near zero visibility in Tacloban hardly dampened Tutubi's will to travel and explore places, he was able to cross the famous San Juanico bridge, the Philippines' longest bridge connecting Leyte island to neighboring Samar separated by San Juanico Strait

San Juanico Bridge has a length of 2.16 kilometers with an arch at midspan allowing ample vertical clearance for ships to pass and visit the port of Tacloban.

the approach to San Juanico Bridge from Tacloban

The Welcome to Samar Arch: Tutubi conquered Samar :P

The shape of the other half of the bridge is visible here

If one end of the bridge is in Tacloban City, the other end is in Sta. Rita town of Samar.

What most people remember about San Juanico Bridge is the stunt pulled off by stuntman/actor Dante Varona where he jumped on the span unto the water below. What most people don't know, however, is that the bridge, when viewed from the sky, is a combination of the letters L and S to represent Leyte and Samar.

The lower part shaped like the letter L for Leyte and the upper part like an S for Samar (picture from Wikimapia)

Unconfirmed reports claims former president Ferdinand Marcos had the bridge constructed in 1973 as a gift to her imeldific wife, Imelda Marcos, who hails from Tacloban.

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How to get there:

San Juanico Bridge is about 10-20 minutes away by jeep or van from Tacloban Airport. You may ride buses/jeepneys going to Samar (e.g. Basey or Marabut or Guian) at Tacloban Bus terminal.

San Juanico Bridge is also one stop of Leyte Provincial Government-organized Icot-icot tour

Upcoming posts:
Braving Samar's notorious bad roads to stunning rock formations in a secluded beach and a town of the Banig Festival :P

Labels: Bridges, Eastern Visayas, Leyte, Samar, Tacloban City

posted by GingGoy @ 9:55 PM,

14 Comments:

At Nov 30, 2008, 7:45:00 AM, Dennis Villegas said...: Galing ng photos, very photojournalistic ang dating! Galing! Ingat lang sa biyahe bro!
At Dec 1, 2008, 1:01:00 AM, carlotta1924 said...: wow, cool trivia about the shape of the bridge.

maybe you should try walking the whole span of the bridge when it's sunny. :)
At Dec 1, 2008, 1:46:00 AM, Anonymous said...: just remind u to always be careful in the rain,my friend..
At Dec 1, 2008, 10:55:00 AM, Sidney said...: Impressive... I wasn't familiar with that bridge... I hope it is safe during earthquakes...
At Dec 2, 2008, 8:44:00 AM, Photo Cache said...: I like this collection of shots taken during a downpour. It offers a different eerie but lovely feel to the bridge.
At Dec 2, 2008, 2:38:00 PM, escape said...: i remember seeing it last year. we actually tried jumping while on the bridge as we parked our vehicle in the middle of the bridge to enjoy the view.

the bridge is actually moving.
At Dec 2, 2008, 8:19:00 PM, Maya said...: i've passed this bridge when i was young but unfortunely i was sleeping at that time. Now, i know what i've missed.

Ps:I've added you, hope you don't mind.
At Dec 3, 2008, 12:52:00 PM, Anonymous said...: The last time I've crossed San Juanico Bridge was when I was about 6 years old. I can still vividly remember the bridge until now. I remember us stopping in the middle so we can enjoy the breeze, see the sights around and look below to see how high the bridge was. Such a wonderful experience. I hope I can get to visit it again.
At Dec 4, 2008, 7:54:00 AM, Anonymous said...: wow... the rain looked angry ! Glad the cars crossed safely despite the roads that looked quite slippery :(
At Apr 30, 2009, 10:48:00 AM, Cat said...: Nice Tutubi! I love your blog. As a Taclobanon myself, I feel proud that people are starting to discover my hometown. My parents find it funny that people are visiting Tacloban now. hehehe

Btw I went 2 years ago... my cousins thought I was mental when I asked them to come along sightseeing. hahaha (in the rain)
At Apr 30, 2009, 11:04:00 AM, GingGoy said...: cat, i foresee myself going back to tacloban as well as Dulag town :P
At Sep 21, 2009, 12:32:00 PM, pirates cove beach and surf resort borongan said...: hello to all.the bridge was the las big thing built by marcos.the southern road asround the island built in the mid 2004ish is the only way from the south to get out to the pacific ocean.the bridge is an engineering marvel.the road around the bottom of samar is very scenic not bumpy till you get to the other side.borongan about s3 to 4 hours from tacloban.enjoy!
At Jun 17, 2010, 2:19:00 PM, iTikO said...: isa to sa mga gusto ko i conquer! reading your site makes me remember what i really want to do in life! conquer the philippines and its beauty!
At Jun 17, 2010, 8:02:00 PM, GingGoy said...: iTikO, we're getting there. hope to visit batanes to tawi tawi someday

Crossing San Juanico Bridge Unhampered by Heavy Rain

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