Davao-Samal Bridge: Big promise, big funding gap, ticking clock

DAVAO CITY  (July 24)  — The promise is bold. The deadline is tight. And the biggest question now is whether the money will follow.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon has assured Davao City and Samal Island residents that the long-delayed Samal Island–Davao City Connector (SIDC) Bridge will be completed and passable before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. steps down from office.

But the assurance comes against a glaring funding gap that could test the government’s ability to deliver.

The DPWH Davao regional office had proposed ₱4.87 billion for the flagship bridge project under this year’s National Expenditure Program. In the final General Appropriations Act, however, only ₱314 million was approved.

That is a difference of more than ₱4.5 billion — a massive reduction for a project that the government now says must be completed within the President’s remaining time in office.

Regional DPWH officials said they have already requested supplemental funding from the national government to keep construction moving.

Dizon, for his part, said the bridge will not be allowed to stall.

“I am confident that the Davao-Samal bridge will be completed and passable before the end of President Marcos’ term,” Dizon said Thursday, July 23, after inspecting a collapsed road section in Barangay Marahan, Marilog District.

The project was initially expected to be completed by late 2028. But after discussions with contractors and engineers, Dizon said the timeline could be shortened.

“Initially, completion was targeted for late 2028, but after discussing with the project contractors and engineers, we are confident that it can be finished sooner,” he said.

For residents, commuters and businesses on both sides of the gulf, the bridge is more than a government construction project.

It is a long-awaited promise of easier travel between Davao City and Samal Island, less dependence on ferry crossings and potentially faster growth in tourism, trade and employment.

But the community has heard promises before.

Now, the challenge is clear: The government must turn the President’s commitment into concrete work — and make sure the funding is there to match the deadline.

Dizon underscored that finishing the bridge is a personal commitment of President Marcos to the people of Davao and Samal.

“I am assuring the people of Davao and Samal that we will finish this project before the end of the President’s term,” he said.

For the communities waiting on the bridge, the countdown has effectively begun. The question is no longer simply when will the bridge be finished?

It is whether the government can close the ₱4.5-billion-plus funding gap and deliver on its promise before the administration’s time runs out.