President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will lead the groundbreaking ceremony for a P23-billion bridge that will link Samal Island and Davao City on Thursday, Oct. 27.
The groundbreaking ceremony will signal the start of the construction of the Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) bridge project, which is expected to spur tourism and economic progress in Davao.
It is a 3.98-kilometer bridge project that will connect the Samal Circumferential Road in the Island Garden City of Samal to the R. Castillo –Daang Maharlika junction in Davao City across the Pakiputan Strait.
The bridge, which is 3.98-kilometer long, will be constructed within five years and is set to be completed and operationalized in 2027.
Once completed, it is expected to reduce travel time from Davao City to Samal from around 30 minutes via ferry to only five minutes.
The construction of the bridge will be funded through a loan agreement worth US$350 million or P18.67 billion entered into between the Philippines and China, covering 90 percent of the project cost.
It will be built by engineering company China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).
The bridge project is among the big-ticket projects mulled under the previous administration's Build, Build, Build infrastructure program.
Malacañang said Marcos will be joined by other national and local officials in the ceremony.
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian is also expected to witness the event.
Aside from the groundbreaking, the President is also scheduled to lead the distribution of various government assistance to individuals in crisis and other people in need.
He is also set to attend a situation briefing where he will be apprised of the current state of the region in terms of food security, infrastructure development, trade and commerce, among others.
He will also visit the soldiers of the Eastern Mindanao Command to discuss pressing issues involving military services.