In an effort to foster collaboration and engagement within the construction community, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) successfully conducted a Contractors Outreach event on December 13, 2023 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Pasay City for a flagship project that will elevate the Philippines to a landmark status in the realm of infrastructure development.
In his message, DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan expressed sincerest gratitude to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and partner financial institution Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) who have demonstrated confidence in financing the construction of 32.15-kilometer Bataan - Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) Project connecting the provinces of Bataan and Cavite over Manila Bay as he emphasized that the contractors unwavering commitment are crucial in the eventual realization of the project.
BCIB Project will be bankrolled through a newly approved $2.1 billion multi-tranche financing facility of ADB, the first tranche of which will amount to $650 million.
According to Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, in-charge of DPWH infrastructure flagship projects, the outreach initiative aimed to connect and promote information sharing with prospective local and foreign contractors of the upcoming BCIB Project, and strengthen partnerships in the construction industry.
A lasting legacy of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the BCIB Project comprising two (2) cable-stayed bridges for the navigation channels with 24-kilometer marine viaducts and 8-kilometer approach roads will be a testament to the vision of creating more economic opportunities with faster access to more jobs, livelihood opportunities, and public services with lesser transport and logistics costs, said Senior Undersecretary Sadain.
The Contractors Outreach was also participated by ADB Philippine Office Country Director Pavit Ramachandran; AIIB South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Region Transport Sector Head Andres Pizarro; DPWH Undersecretaries Carlos G. Mutuc, Eugenio R. Pipo Jr., Ador G. Canlas and Eric A. Ayapana; Assistant Secretary Rey Peter B. Gille; and representatives from the Embassies of the United States of America, Italy, Spain, India, Canada, and Malaysia.
The ADB-financed Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility (IPIF) took care of the project preparation, environment and social safeguards due diligence, and geotechnical investigation for the detailed engineering design.
During the event, the DPWH Unified Project Management Office - Roads Management Cluster II (Multilateral) headed by Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim and its detailed engineering design consultant TY Lin International Inc. in joint venture with Pyungwha Engineering & Consulting Co., Ltd. provided valuable insights into the upcoming monumental infrastructure project, matters such procurement terms and conditions, and construction methodology in line with the commitment to fostering a dynamic and inclusive construction environment.
Attendees from both local and international construction companies had the opportunity to engage in discussions, ask questions, and network with key stakeholders and prospective business partners.
The Contractors Outreach event reflects DPWH dedication to transparent communication, community involvement, and creating a level playing field that will ultimately contributes to the overall success and sustainability of the project.
The project will be divided into seven (7) contract packages with the DPWH targeting to start construction by July 2024 of the two (2) on-land packages namely five (5)-kilometer Bataan Land Approach under Package 1 and the 1.35-kilometer Cavite Land Approach under Package 2.
Other packages are the 20.65-kilometer Marine Viaducts in the North and South under Packages 3 and 4; and 2.15-kilometer North Channel Bridge for Package 5 and 3.15-kilometer South Channel Bridge for Package 6. The 7th package involves project-wide ancillary works with an eventual separate package 8 for the Operations and Maintenance.
