The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has entered a contract with China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) for the construction of the P3.1-billion Davao River Bridge, also known as Bucana Bridge, in Davao City.
In another development, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed on Friday the record of discussions (ROD) for the formulation of a Comprehensive and Sustainable Urban Development Master Plan for Metropolitan Davao.
DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan has officially approved the civil works contract signed by DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain and CRBC general manager Ren Xiaopeng for the construction of the four-lane bridge funded under China-Aid Grant.
Sadain said the project will have a great impact on the transportation system in Davao, because its component will complement the Davao City Coastal Road presently serving as an alternate route to the existing urban road network of Davao City.
“The signing of the contract document marks the formalization of agreements with the selected construction firm procured through competitive bidding among the shortlisted contractors of the Government of the People’s Republic of China (GPRC) and the beginning of the construction phase of Bucana Bridge,” Sadain said.
GPRC extends a grant to the Philippines on the basis of the Exchange of Letters signed on November 20, 2018 concerning the construction of the China-Aid Localized Project for Davao River Bridge (Bucana Bridge).
The implementation agreement between GPRC and the Government of the Philippines was signed on October 20, 2023.
Sadain cited the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge in Manila and the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge in Makati and Mandaluyong, both across Pasig River, as the first DPWH UPMO-implemented infrastructure project in partnership with the government of the Republic of China under the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation in 2017.
Vice President former Mayor of Davao City Sara Duterte-Carpio was guest speaker at the opening ceremony.
The ROD was signed by Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan on behalf of the Philippine government and Sakamoto Takema, the chief representative of JICA in the Philippines, representing Japan. Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines, Koshikawa Kazuhiko, and NEDA Undersecretary for Regional Development, Carlos Bernardo Abad Santos, stood as witnesses in the contract signing.
The ROD outlines the agreements on the implementation by both Philippine and Japanese governments of the Philippine-Japan Technical Cooperation Project, which aims to formulate a master plan that will ensure the sustainable urban development of Metropolitan Davao and its influence areas in the Davao Region. Its main objective is to stimulate economic activity in the region while also addressing urban development and environmental conservation.
The master plan serves as a roadmap supporting the resource mobilization and service delivery of the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA). It also aims to solidify cooperation and partnership among the 15 LGUs comprising Metropolitan Davao, which was officially established as a special and administrative region through the passing of the MDDA Law on April 13, 2022.
“There is a particular need to coordinate and promote socioeconomic growth and sustainable development in Metropolitan Davao. This collective development shall serve to benefit the 3.4 million residents of the area. Thus, I urge our Local Chief Executives of the fifteen LGUs to give your all-out support to this Project, as this presents a great opportunity to realize the development prospects of Metropolitan Davao, Mindanao and the Philippines, at large,” Balisacan said.
The implementation of the master plan for Metropolitan Davao is in line with the Marcos administration’s goals under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028. Identified as one of the cross-cutting strategies of the PDP, the government seeks to develop greater collaboration between local and national governments by positioning them as equal partners in the development agenda of the country.