DAVAO CITY —– The government is left with no choice but expropriate the properties involve in the Samal Island- Davao City connector bridge and the ball now is at the hand of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) central office, this was the revelation of Island Garden City of Samal mayor Al David uy to Newsline.
In an interview with Newsline on Monday, Uy said “The DPWH has already issued the notice to commence to the contractor “It’s a go already and we are just waiting for the official ground breaking because the soil test is almost done and the ground preparation for the project has stared,” Uy emphasized.
The government, according to Uy is now working for the expropriation in order to pay the land owners based on government’s property valuation.
The project according to Uy, will proceed because “The properties will be used by the government for a common and the government is willing to pay in order to proceed with the project.”
Julian Rodriguez, the manager of the family-owned Paradise Island Resort said they are not opposed to the construction of the bridge “We want the project realigned to save the corals.
The opposition, according to Rodriguez, is due to the impact of the project to the ecosystem and marine resources of Samal “We will earn more with the project, as business operators, we are not opposing the construction of the bridge, we are suggesting that they realign it.
But Uy argued “The property for the bridge landing is owned by the Lucas family who are now residing in Manila and the paradise resort property will not be affected “The property which will be affected is within the Lucas property just at the boundary of the Rodriguez property.’
The government had three options for the location of the project from the Davao City side namely; the Panacan point; the Coaco point and the R. Castillo point, but according to Uy, the Panacan point is very costly and dangerous because it is within the plight path of the planes coming and going out the Davao City International Airport.
The second option is the nearest but the area is occupied by the depo the placement of the footbridge from the Davao side cannot provide a higher elevation for the bridge which will affect the height and will result to congestion and above al “There is a need to relocate all the oil depo which means higher fuel cost for Davao region and the big vessels will no longer be able to pass the straight because of the bridge height,”
Given the limitations of the the locations, the most viable and he final option is the R. Castlllo junction in Davao City to Baangay Limao in Samal, Uy emphasized.
Every project, according to the Mayor has a social impact “But we are making sure that the damages will be minimal as we always protect our environment and miniral resources because our best resources is he garden underneath the sea.”-Editha Z. Caduaya
