DAVAO CITY (July 7) — The Department of Public Works and Highways has pushed back against social media claims that the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project has been abandoned, saying construction is progressing on schedule despite funding constraints.
DPWH-Davao spokesperson Dean Ortiz said the landmark bridge was 61.334 percent complete as of June 25, slightly ahead of its programmed accomplishment of 61.26 percent, putting the project in positive slippage.
“The project is very well ongoing,” Ortiz said, adding that work has advanced to the bridge’s superstructure following the installation of its box girders.
The agency is also pressing ahead while awaiting additional funding. Ortiz said the DPWH requested ₱4.86 billion for this year’s works but received only ₱314 million from the national government.
Even with the funding gap, construction has not stopped, he said, expressing confidence that additional releases will allow the project to meet its September 2028 completion target.
Ortiz also addressed online posts showing an apparently empty construction site, saying they fail to reflect the project’s actual work schedule.
He explained that crews normally break during the hottest part of the day, working from 6 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. to protect workers from extreme heat.
At present, however, manpower and equipment have been pooled to allow round-the-clock construction, he added.
Once completed, the 3.98-kilometer bridge will provide the first permanent road link between Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal, improving travel, trade and tourism across the gulf.
The ₱23-billion infrastructure project is financed largely through a Chinese loan, which covers about 90 percent of its total cost, or ₱18.67 billion.
