DAVAO CITY — Thousands of visitors and residents going in and out of Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) endured from four to seven hours of queueing to cross the Pakiputan Strait which connects the Samal and Davao City.
Only three Roll-on, Roll-off operated last weekend making the travel longer while the other Roro operator has only two vessels to cater the passengers who wannted to spend their weekend in Samal’s white sand beach resorts.
Hundreds of Samal-Davao-bound passengers and motorists waited for their turn with only one wish; the P23-billion Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project should be finished soon.
“We need the bridge, you cannot wait for many hours always, that is crazy, ” David, an American citizen who visited Samal quipped.
Jenelyn Ocampo, a resident of Samal said “Maraming nasasayang na oras , tapos ang mga sasakyan ang hahaba po nang inaabot na pila.”
President Ferdinand R. marcos Jr., on October 27, 2022, inaugurated the P23-billion Samal Island-Davao City connector project which if plan pushes through will be completed in the next five years.
But, at least two families are opposing the Samal landing because it will affect their properties as they invoke the environmental hazard that the project might bring even if the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in a research said the areas in barangays Caliclic and Limao in Samal are not considered protected areas.
Earlier on, the 44 of the 47 barangay captains of Samal threw full support for the construction of the bridge.
