PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday said the Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) bridge project is expected to boost Davao region’s economic potential as well as improve the access of communities in the area to jobs, education and other services.
The President led the lowering of the time capsule to signal the start of the construction of the bridge that will connect the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) in Davao del Norte to Davao City.
Marcos said once completed in 2027, the bridge is expected to boost tourism and economy in Davao.
The four-lane bridge can accommodate up to 25,000 vehicles daily and reduce travel time from Samal and Davao City from 50 minutes via ferry to just 4.5 minutes. It has an estimated total cost of P23.04 billion and has a length of 3.98 kilometers.
“In 2027, this bridge will surely ease the convenience of travel and transport, bringing forth gainful opportunities for many of our people by providing a link between relatively far-flung areas and economic centers, thereby we ensure smoother mobility of people and of goods. It will provide easier access to tourism spots and ensure the speedy recuperation from the setbacks brought about by the pandemic,” the President said.
Marcos also said the new bridge would help improve the peace and order situation in the area and ensure faster and more efficient aid distribution during calamities.
The President said his constant instruction to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was to build a more interconnected Philippines that would help boost regional transport and spur economic development and competitiveness in the countryside.
After the event, the President led the distribution of various government aid at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office in Panacan in Davao City, among them the P110 million for the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) program of the Department of Agriculture.
A total of 20 beneficiaries received P5.5 million each which they can use to speed up the recovery of the hog sector from the African Swine Fever.
Marcos also distributed certificates for livelihood kits awarded by the Department of Trade and Industry to eight beneficiaries, including the bangus deboning tools with entrepreneurial and skills training under the Negosyo sa Barangay Livelihood Seeding Program.
He also awarded a total of P183 million to eight beneficiary-barangays under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Emergency Employment Program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
The President also handed food packs and P5,000 cash aid to 500 beneficiaries under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
While in Davao, Marcos, together with Vice President Sara Duterte, also attended the ceremony for Davao Region’s declaration as an insurgency-free region and its relaunching as a tourism and investment-ready destination.
Addressing the Armed Forces’ Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) at its headquarters at the Naval Station Felix Apolinario, Marcos said the declaration is an important and noteworthy achievement for Filipinos.
“What we celebrate today is a significant milestone. It is significant because it marks the collective victory of the government together with various sectors that work together towards attaining peace and security in the Davao Region. We must be all proud and happy knowing that the Davao Region has been declared as insurgency-free by the Davao Regional Peace and Order Council,” he said.
The President also expressed support for the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA), a special body overseeing the development in the administrative region which is now in its formative stages.
The MDDA, created through Republic Act No. 11708 or the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority Act, is a special body mandated to coordinate and promote the socio-economic growth and sustainable development of Metropolitan Davao as well as to oversee the development planning; transport management; solid waste disposal and management; flood control and sewerage management; urban renewal, zoning, land use planning and shelter services; health and sanitation and public safety in the Davao region.
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Davao regional director Maria Lourdes Lim said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has approved the grant for the formulation of the master plan for Metropolitan Davao.
She said the MDDA is currently in its formative stages and still needs the implementing rules and regulations, the approval of plantilla for the human resource, and the budget to become operational.
