P23-B Samal-Davao bridge project proceeding as planned
By Ivy Tejano
DAVAO CITY – The P23-billion bridge project connecting this city and the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) is proceeding as planned.
The Office of the Presidential Assistant for Mindanao-Eastern (OPAMINE) denied the statement of the National Economic and Development Authority-11 which said the Samal Island-Davao City (SIDC) Connector Project has been suspended since January 3, 2023, due to a right-of-way issue in the city involving two to three land parcels.
OPAMINE Secretary Leo Tereso Magno said on Wednesday, January 31, that this is a priority project of the Marcos administration in the Davao region.
Magno said he verified with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Emil Sadain if they have postponed the SIDC Connector Project, as claimed by NEDA-11 director Maria Lourdes Lim in a report.
Sadain said the project is still in full swing.
“I also contacted DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, who informed me that the project would push through as planned. The national government is committed to providing continuous support for its implementation,” Magno said.
He said Bonoan also informed him that the Davao City Coastal Road from Times Beach to Barangay Bucana would be completed.
Magno assured support for development in the Davao region.
Regional Development Council-11 co-chairman Arturo Milan, also a member of the NEDA Board for Regional Development-Private Sector Representative for Mindanao and chairman of the One Mindanao Business Club, said that the project is pushing through and that the DPWH-11 has conducted soil testing in the Davao side where the bridge will connect, specifically in front of the Insular Village beside the Beach Club.
Magno advised officials to refrain from disseminating unconfirmed information to the public without due verification.
He said he has been pushing for the SIDC Connector Project since this would be incredibly beneficial to the two neighboring cities and the entire Davao region.