The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started the civil works construction of the iconic P23-billion Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) project.
The DPWH said on Friday, Oct. 7, that it has already conducted a land survey and geotechnical investigation for the proceeding of the detailed engineering design.
The SIDC project is seen to facilitate economic advancement in the Davao region and further boost the tourism potential of the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) which is known for its pristine beach destinations.
Details sent to Manila Bulletin confirmed that the project is a key 'Government-to-Government' cooperation project between the Philippines and China that has an indicative cost of P23.039 billion.
DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain together with Assistant Secretary Constante A. Llanes Jr. and Project Director Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes of DPWH's Unified Project Management Office-Bridges Management Cluster inspected the two ongoing drilling boreholes.
This includes the geotechnical investigation at Davao onshore under the supervision of Project Manager Joweto V. Tulaylay and Project Engineer John Christian T. Gaden.
"The geotechnical investigation plan prepared by design and build contractor China Road and Bridge Corporation will have a total of 97 boreholes - 63 for Davao onshore, 18 offshore, and 16 for Samal onshore," the DPWH statement read.
Sadain said the final alignment of the proposed main bridge including the connecting eastern/western offshore and onshore approach bridge, the Davao interchange ramp bridge, and the approach road has been exhaustively studied.
The agency, however, considered several proposals for the bridge alignment presented to DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan.
Sadain further explained that the approved final alignment for the sea crossing bridge is a product of comprehensive studies and with important consideration to the environment and the necessary navigational safety management for sea craft and height restriction for air transport.
No opposition
Necessary permits and requirements for the project have been acquired from concerned local government units, national government agencies, and both the local government units of IGACOS and Davao City, the DPWH emphasized.
Bonoan also confirmed that there is no expression of opposition to the current bridge alignment.
"The Infrastructure Development Council (IDC) of Regional Development Council (RDC-11) has approved as early as 2019 the bridge's alignment and landing points from Samal Circumferential Road in Barangay Limao, IGACOS to Davao City in between R. Castillo-Daang Maharlika junction, citing its economic and logistical benefits," Bonoan furthered.
He said the project has also obtained in December 2020 an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) based on the most recent detailed study on the bridge project.
The study was spearheaded by foreign consultants specializing in high-standard projects to ensure that the current alignment of the bridge has the least impact on reefs.
DPWH assured that the SIDC project will not harm marine biodiversity by adopting state-of-the-art modern technology in the construction of the deep foundation for the sea-crossing bridge.
"The alignment will not also affect the mountainous terrain of IGACOS compared to suggested alignment by some groups," Bonoan explained.
The DPWH secured the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) through the creation of the Multipartite Monitoring Team (MMT), Environmental Monitoring Fund (EMF), and Environmental Guarantee Fund (EGF).
The EMF is a fund that the proponent shall commit to establishing support for the activities of the MMT.
Meanwhile, the EGF shall be established and used exclusively for the immediate rehabilitation of areas affected by damages to the environment and the resulting deterioration of environmental quality.
This fund is for the contingency clean-up activities, environmental enhancement measures, damage prevention programs, and social equity measures (e.g. livelihood, and social development programs) including the necessary information, education, communication, and capability-building activities related to the project.