President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to lead the highly anticipated groundbreaking ceremony of the Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) bridge project on Thursday.
Mr. Marcos will be accompanied by other national and local officials, according to a press release from Malacañang.
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian is also expected to witness the groundbreaking ceremony.
Set to be built by engineering company China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), the P23-billion two-way, four-lane bridge is expected to spur tourism and economic progress in Davao.
With a total length of 3.98 kilometers, the bridge will connect the Samal Circumferential Road in the Island Garden City of Samal to the R. Castillo–Daang Maharlika junction in Davao City.
Once completed, it is expected to shorten travel time from Davao City to Samal from around 30 minutes via ferry to merely five minutes.
The bridge will be constructed within five years and is set to be completed and operationalized in 2027.
Last June 13, Huang exchanged with then Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III the signed Framework Agreement and Loan Agreement between the Philippines and China for a loan grant worth $350 million or P18.67 billion for the bridge project.
The Chinese loan will cover 90 percent of the project’s P23.039-billion cost.
Apart from groundbreaking rites, the President is also scheduled to lead the distribution of various government assistance to individuals in crisis and other people in need.
He is expected 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.
Mr. Marcos will also be visiting the soldiers of the Eastern Mindanao Command to discuss pressing issues involving military services.