Buhangin District, Davao City
October 27, 2022

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the groundbreaking of the highly anticipated Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project in a ceremony at Buhangin District, Davao City.

“This bridge will help us develop the economic potential of Davao City and the Island Garden of the City of Samal, as well as enhance its residents’ access to employment, education, and other services,” said the President in his keynote speech, expressing further his gratitude to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Government of the People’s Republic of China for their joint initiative that would pave the way for easier access to key tourism spots and ensure the area’s speedy recuperation from the setbacks brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a testament to the strong and ever-growing foundation of the bilateral relations and cooperation between our two countries. It is always a pleasure as a nation to join hands with you for the eventual success of this endeavor,” he added.

The momentous event signaled the start of construction of the PhP23-billion bridge project that is targeted to be completed and operationalized in five (5) years. It will be a two-way, four-lane bridge with a total length of 3.98 kilometers connecting the Samal Circumferential Road in the Island Garden City of Samal to the R. Castillo-Daang Maharlika Junction in Davao City.

In a Facebook post by the Office of the Press Secretary (https://www.facebook.com/opsgov), it states that the construction of the bridge will be funded through a loan agreement entered between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China amounting to US$350 million or PhP18.67 billion, with said loan covering 90 percent of the project cost.

Once completed, it is expected to shorten travel time from Davao City to Samal Island from around 50 minutes via ferry to just 4.5 minutes and accommodate up to 25,000 vehicles daily.

“Let us continue the great work of coming together and let the changing power that will result from our energy give rise to the realization of our dreams of a strong, prosperous, and truly united Filipino nation,” the Chief Executive ended in his message.

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