The infrastructure program of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. got a boost following the signing of six bilateral agreements and one project implementation between the Philippines and China on Wednesday. Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, who signed the agreements and completion documents on behalf of the Philippine government, said they welcome China’s support to the government’s "Build Better More" infrastructure agenda. “The signing of these agreements demonstrates the strong commitment between China and the Philippines to deepen bilateral cooperation through infrastructure development,” he said in a statement on Thursday. The signing event, held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, was witnessed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping  as part of Marcos’ three-day state visit to the world’s second-largest economy. The Department of Finance (DOF), on Thursday, said four of the loan agreements have an aggregate amount of USD201.8 million (around PHP11.3 billion) and were co-signed by Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank) Chairman Wu Fulin. These agreements will fund the Priority Bridges Crossing Pasig-Marikina River and Manggahan Floodway, it said. The latest financing from China brought to USD1.06 billion its total loan commitments for ongoing projects in the Philippines, it said. Relatively, DOF said the Framework Agreement for the implementation of the Priority Bridges Crossing Pasig-Marikina River and Manggahan Floodway under Chinese Government Financing, which was co-signed by China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) Chairman Luo Zhaohui, is a precursor agreement that gives the Philippines access to the Renminbi (RMB)-denominated government concessional loan (GCL) facility portion of the loan. The Finance Department said Diokno and Luo also inked the agreement on economic and technical cooperation between the two governments, worth 1.5 billion renminbi (around PHP12.2 billion) for projects to be determined by both countries “based on the development plan and specific needs of the Philippine government.” Also, Diokno signed along with Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao the handover certificate for the Binondo-Intramuros and Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge – both of which were financed by the Chinese government and were completed on April 13, 2022 and Sept. 17, 2021, respectively. “The two bridges, spanning Manila, Makati, and Mandaluyong, seek to improve the capacity and efficiency of the road transport network in Metro Manila,” the DOF said. 

The aerial view of the San Juanico Bridge that connects the islands of Leyte and Samar. The proposed second San Juanico Bridge has gained support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as one of the priority projects in the region, an official of the National Economic Development Authority said on Tuesday (Jan. 3, 2023). (Photo courtesy of Lyle Arañas) The proposed second San Juanico Bridge has gained support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as one of the priority projects in the region, an official of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) said on Tuesday. NEDA Eastern Visayas Regional Director Meylene Rosales said that during the visit of JICA team to the region last month, its key officials led by Senior Representative Kuronoma Kenji have expressed intention to provide technical and financial support to the project. “Although JICA has yet to commit to funding the construction of the proposed Second San Juanico Bridge, they are already involved in preparatory activities for the program, such as the conduct of the pre-feasibility study for the bridge, which found that construction will have a favorable impact to the region,” Rosales said in a statement. In 2022, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced that the national government will need PHP9.17 billion to build the second San Juanico Bridge connecting the islands of Leyte and Samar. The government is still looking for sources to finance the proposed bridge. The project was tagged as a priority after it passed the 10 percent economic internal rate of return set by NEDA. The proposed budget will primarily be used for the construction of the bridge superstructure, substructure, embankment, concrete girders, and relocation of power transmission lines, according to a study by DPWH and JICA. The proposed bridge will connect the towns of Babatngon, Leyte, and Sta. Rita, Samar. It will cross Janbatas Channel, a portion of the San Juanico Strait that separates the region’s two major islands. The proposed bridge will have a length of 1.24 kilometers that starts in Guintigui-an village in Babatngon, Leyte, and will end in San Pascual village in Sta. Rita, Samar. “It is very critical that we have an alternative to the San Juanico Bridge. You cannot travel by land from Luzon to Mindanao without passing through us. That’s why it is not only people that pass through the bridge, just as importantly, cargo also passes through,” Rosales added. In 2019, traffic volume on San Juanico Bridge is 7,200 vehicles daily, close to its 10,000 daily capacity. In 2030, the figure is expected to increase to 10,900 daily, more than its limit. The number is expected to reach 15,900 in 2040. Built in 1973, the existing 2.16-kilometer San Juanico Bridge has been encountering issues, such as aging and high maintenance costs.   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways The expressway project in Central Luzon at the connection of Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX)/Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) in Tarlac City, Tarlac is targetted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to be operational up to San Juan, Aliaga, Nueva Ecija toward the first half of 2023. In his report to DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said that the DPWH Unified Project Management Office - Roads Management Cluster 1 (DPWH-UPMO RMC1) is currently working on the completion of additional seven (7) kilometer segment from Guimba-Aliaga Road intersection to San Juan Interchange that will extend to 25 kilometers the already accessible 18-kilometer section of the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX). The DPWH UPMO RMC 1 team with the contractors and consultants have worked hard to overcome challenges along the way, such as bad weather, right of way issues, difficulty in the transport of construction materials, and Covid-19 impact that caused some delays, added Senior Undersecretary Sadain. Other than the four (4)-lane two (2)-way expressway with design speed of 100 kilometers per hour, DPWH is also undertaking the construction of three (3) interchanges namely Zaragoza, Aliaga and San Juan that will allow motorists from the secondary and provincial roads to access CLLEX. When fully completed, this 30-kilometer CLLEX Project will facilitate fast, safe, comfortable and reliable means of transport in Central Luzon as it form an important east-west link for the expressway network of Region 3 to ensure a continuous seamless traffic flow for the motoring public from Metro Manila and vice versa passing thru NLEX, SCTEX/TPLEX. This project is part of the government’s vision of easing traffic congestion and will shorten the usual travel time of 70 minutes between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City to just 20 minutes. The project is one of the key infrastructures with funding assistance from the Government of Japan thru Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and is included in the Luzon Spine Expressway Network projects aimed at reducing travel time from the northernmost part of Luzon, Ilocos, to the southern most part, Bicol, by over 50 percent via the construction of high standard highway network. In his inspection on December 19, 2022 together with Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista, Senior Undersecretary Sadain has instructed the DPWH UPMO RMC 1 project supervision team of Project Engineers Manuel R. Monfort, Juancho Hernandez, and Albert Manuel and the contractors to put more resources in the project and accelerate their work. The DPWH-UPMO together with Nueva Ecjia First and Second District Engineering Offices are also continuously working on the processing of right of way claims. Delayed reimbursement or payment of affected property is due to difficulty of right of way claimants to comply with all the documentary requirements or problems on submitted papers establishing proof of ownership and others, most common of which are cancellations of encumbrance/s on the land titles and payment of corresponding estate taxes for the registered deceased landowners and the change of creditor’s name.

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) maintains a keen focus in partially opening by 2024 the first 10.7-kilometer central portion of the 45.5-kilometer Davao City Bypass Construction Project by accelerating on-going excavation activities in the construction of twin tube road mountain tunnel. In an inspection on Thursday, December 1, 2022, DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain expressed optimism that excavation works for the 2.3-kilometer soon to be first-ever long-distance mountain tunnel in the Philippines will be completed by December 2023. The Davao City tunnel, with a north portal in Barangay Waan and south portal at the other end in Barangay Matina Biao, is a major component of the 10.7-kilometer contract package 1-1. DPWH Senior Undersecretary Sadain in his report to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan said that the joint venture contractor Shimizu-Ulticon-Takenaka led by Project Director Akira Mito have so far excavated, sprayed concrete or “shotcrete”, and installed steel ribs support reinforcement and rockbolts on the tunnel distance of 332 meters on northbound and 247 meters on southbound for south portal while progress for north portal is at 292 meters on southbound and 232 meters on northbound directions. “We are fast-tracking the simultaneous construction of the road mountain tunnel in four (4) areas of its north and south portals”, added Senior Undersecretary Sadain. The tunnel construction works for the Davao City Bypass Construction Project started at north portal on November 19, 2021 for southbound direction, and on December 10, 2021 for the northbound direction. Meanwhile, excavation activities from opposite end at south portal commenced on May 12, 2022 for northbound direction and on June 9, 2022 for southbound direction. After the activities at north portal was temporarily halted by water seepage on the tunnel roof, the use of Japanese waterproofing technology and materials has helped the DPWH and its contractor addressed this problem. Other than the tunnel, contract package 1-1 involves the construction of four-lane road with a length of 7.9 kilometers; three (3) pairs of bridges with a total length of 500 meters including the Davao River Bridge; two (2) underpasses and two (2) overpasses; 12 waterways culverts; and four (4) at-grade intersection. This on-going contract package 1-1 costing ₱13.23 Billion is financed by Special Terms for Economic Partnership (STEP) Loan between Philippines and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under loan agreement numbers PH-P261 and PH-P273. The Davao City ByPass Road Construction Project is being implemented by DPWH Unified Project Management Office - Roads Management Cluster 1 (Bilateral) headed by Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista and under the on-site supervision and monitoring by Project Manager Joselito B. Reyes and Project Engr. Juan M. Diña Jr. with Nippon Koei – Katahira - Nippon Engineering - Philkoei as engineering consultants. Once completed, the entire bypass road will slash travel time between Toril, Davao City and the northern Panabo City, Davao Del Norte to under 49 minutes from the usual more or less two (2) hours via Maharlika Highway.   Article courtesy of the Department of Public Works and Highways

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is now working on projects that will address the deficit of road network in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Simultaneous to DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain’s participation at the 12th Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) Meeting of the National Government and Bangsamoro Government in Davao City, the DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Roads Management Cluster 1 (Bilateral) held a kick-off meeting in Cotabato City with the key project stakeholders to formally introduced the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded Road Network Development Project in Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao (RNDP-CAAM). In his report to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Sadain said that the kick off meeting organized by UPMO RMC1 Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista and Project Manager Francisco M. Sawali was an opportunity to define the important roles that the various stakeholders especially the local government units (LGUs) will play in the project implementation. The stakeholder consultation held December 1, 2022 provided an overview of the project for government agencies and LGUs, introduce key personnel and project team members, and enjoin their cooperation. Project Director Bautista, Project Manager Sawali, and the consultants of consulting services firm CTI Engineering International Co. Ltd and Oriental Consultants Global Co. Ltd explained to the stakeholders the background of four (4) road sub-projects under RNDP-CAAM with a total length of 77 kilometers. The kick-off meeting has provided local leaders and other stakeholders of an update of the detailed engineering works on the 35.30-kilometer Parang-Balabagan Road, 19.80-kilometer Marawi City Ring Road, 7-kilometer Parang East Diversion Road, and the 16.80-kilometer Manuangan-Parang Road. This kick-off activity is crucial to level off key stakeholders’ expectation, gain the cooperation for the smooth implementation, properly plot timelines, and know the necessary coordination and other logistical requirements that must be considered moving forward, added Senior Undersecretary Sadain. The stark contrast of Mindanao’s growth potential and the status as one of the poorest is in dire need of infrastructure development intervention. RNDP-CAAM will complement the progress of the peace and unity process by way of addressing the shortage of infrastructure in the Bangsamoro Region. The project is in line with the trust of the government to encourage economic development, reduce poverty and contribute in the government effort to peace development in the conflict-affected area in Mindanao.   Article courtesy of the Department of Public Works and Highways

Photo credit: The Department of Public Works and Highways The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is targeting to commence by first quarter of 2023 the detailed engineering design (DED) activities of a long-time dream project for the people of Western Visayas. In his report to DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said that the Department of Finance (DOF) has issued on October 24, 2022 evidence of authority for the engineering services of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges for the loan agreement to be in effect. To date, the procurement of consulting services for the DED and tender assistance is on-going and submission and receipt of bidding documents is scheduled this December 2022. The 32.47-kilometer Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges Project, composed of two (2)-sea-crossing bridges connecting Panay Island, Guimaras Island and Negros Island in Region 6, is a large and complex project that requires comprehensive and high-standard engineering works to be serviced by consultants who have extensive experience in long-span bridges, which will help DPWH prepare for the construction in an efficient and timely manner. According to Senior Undersecretary Sadain, the scope of engineering services are preliminary design covering review of the feasibility study and preliminary and basic design; detailed engineering design including estimation of detailed construction cost; and procurement assistance. Senior Undersecretary Sadain together with Pulupandan, Negros Occidental Mayor Miguel Antonio C. Peña and the five (5) DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Project Directors namely Benjamin A. Bautista, Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim, Ramon A. Arriola III, Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes, and Soledad R. Florencio conducted an on-ground assessment on November 10, 2022 of the proposed location of road approach at the Negros Island side. The Infrastructure Development Committee of the Regional Development Council (RDC) 6 approved the Guimaras-Negros linkage or Section B of the project for endorsement to RDC 6 during the 3rd Quarter Reorganizational Meeting held September 14, 2022. The project was fully endorsed and approved by the committee during the RDC 6 Full Council Third Quarter Meeting held on October 13, 2022. The linkage between Guimaras-Negros will comprise a sea-crossing bridge with an approximate length of 13.11 kilometers, road approaches with an approximate total length of 5.49 kilometers and road connectors 0.87 kilometers with a total length of 19.47 kilometers. On the otherhand, the linkage between Panay-Guimaras or Section A will comprise a sea-crossing bridge with an approximate length of 4.97 kilometers and road approach with an approximate total length of 8.03 kilometers with a total length of 13.00 kilometers. “We still have a long way to go, but the wait will be worth it as we have the opportunity to make this dream come true”, added Senior Undersecretary Sadain. Early this year, the Government of the Philippines has obtained $56.6 Million in loans from the Government of the Republic of Korea for the engineering services of PGN Island Bridges. A ceremonial exchange of signed loan agreement for engineering services of PGN Island Bridges was held last May 2022 between the DOF and Export Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM). In line with the loan guidelines, the KEXIM-Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) has issued last September a notice of concurrence on the shortlist of consultants for the DED. Once the interlink bridges are constructed, travel time of commuters and motorist and transport of goods from Panay to Negros Islands through ferries/RORO will be shortened from 3-4 hours to just less than 1 hour.   Article courtesy of The Department of Public Works and Highways

The construction of the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan, some 35 kilometers north of Metro Manila, is in full swing, with Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista leading the inspection over the weekend. In a news release issued Monday, the DOTr said Bautista was joined by San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and CEO Ramon Ang and other transport officials during the inspection in the town of Bulakan. Bautista assured stakeholders of the new international airport that the gateway will soon be open for business. Operations at the new gateway are targeted to start in 2027. Land development works are now being done at the airport’s 1,693-hectare site. Works on the PHP735-billion airport officially started on Sept. 18, 2019, when the government, through the DOTr, signed a concession agreement with San Miguel Aerocity Inc. (SMAI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of San Miguel Holdings Corp., and the infrastructure arm of SMC. The DOTr and the SMAI are working together to make sure that the project complies with environmental protection requirements, particularly flood mitigation, considering the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) which was conducted prior to the commencement of works at the airport site. Once built, the new international airport will be fully owned by the government under a “build-operate-transfer” program. Once operational, the new gateway will not only help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as the capital’s main gateway, but will also be a “game changer” and catalyst of economic growth in Central Luzon. Phase 1 of the airport will have a capacity of 35 million passengers per annum, is expected generate more than 1 million jobs, and rake-in increased foreign direct investments and higher exports. Under the 50-year concession agreement, SMAI will undertake the financing, design, construction, supply, completion, testing, commissioning, and operation and maintenance of the new international gateway. With a design capacity of up to 100 million passengers annually and plans for four parallel runways, the New Manila International Airport is expected to help decongest the NAIA and enable the airports in the Greater Capital Region (Metro Manila and nearby provinces) to meet forecast passenger demand.

Photo credit: Philippine News Agency President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. believes that the government owes it to the Filipino people to build major roads and critical infrastructure that will spur progress and social change, promote interconnectivity, ease traffic and reduce travel time. He made this remark after he witnessed on Thursday the signing of two contracts that will finance the civil works of four stations of the Metro Manila Subway-Contract Packages 102 (CP102) and 103 (CP103). In his speech after the signing of the contracts, Marcos assured the public, particularly commuters, that the government will strive to provide a more efficient public transportation system in the country. "We owe it to the Filipino people to build major roads and critical infrastructure that will not only spur progress and social change, but also promote interconnectivity, ease traffic, and reduce travel time," Marcos said. “Let me assure you that the government remains dedicated to maximizing its resources to pursue even more ambitious endeavors that will bring comfort and progress to Filipinos all over the country,” he added. He also urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to ensure the smooth and faithful implementation of all subway projects that are underway. “The signing of these contract packages is a clear demonstration of this administration’s commitment to pursuing big infrastructure projects that will foster growth and revitalize the economy,” Marcos said. Meanwhile, Marcos thanked Japan for partnering with the Philippines in pursuing what he described as an “important infrastructure development project.” “The world recognizes Japan for having a very efficient rail transport system, which the Philippines aspires to one day emulate,” Marcos told guests at the Malacañang Palace. He also expressed gratitude to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for providing financial support for the implementation of CP102 and CP103. “I thank you not only for this specific project, I thank the JICA who have been supporting the development of the Philippines for the last 50 years. Especially in terms of our infrastructure projects and even our agricultural projects,” he said. He also acknowledged the Nishimatsu-DMCI Joint Venture and Sumitomo Mitsui Construction for working closely with the Philippines in ensuring the completion of these contract packages. CP102, with a total contract amount of approximately PHP21 billion, was awarded to the joint venture of Nishimatsu Construction Co., Ltd. and D.M. Consunji Inc (DMCI), while CP103 with a total contract amount of approximately PHP28 billion was awarded to Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co., Ltd. CP102 involves the construction of the Quezon Avenue Station (located inside the former Manila Seedling Bank, EDSA corner Quezon Avenue) and the East Avenue Station (along V. Luna Avenue), including the connecting tunnels. CP103 involves constructing Anonas Station (at Barangay Project 4, Quezon City) and Camp Aguinaldo Station (inside Camp Aguinaldo), including the connecting tunnels. The Anonas subway station will interconnect with Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) Anonas Station. Jobs and other opportunities Meanwhile, Marcos said he is optimistic that the subway projects will not only ease the flow of people, goods, and services in Metro Manila but also generate jobs and opportunities for Filipinos. “Even before it begins its operations, it is already set to yield many fruits—the implementation of the civil works for Contract Package 102 and Contract Package 103 alone is set to create thousands of jobs and opportunities for many Filipinos,” Marcos said. Once operational, the project is expected to benefit more than half a million passengers per day from as far north as Valenzuela City to as far south as Parañaque City. “We hope to reduce the terrible sight of going home at midnight along EDSA and still seeing people waiting to take the bus,” he said. The project is also expected to reduce travel time between Quezon City and Pasay from one hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes. “That is the advantage of what the subway will bring. They know that they can always go to the subway station and there will be a train coming along in a few minutes. The cut in travel time is also very important but still it is to reduce the uncertainty as to when we will get home. We will reduce the terrible stories that we hear of people who no longer see their children because they come home 1:30 in the morning and the children as asleep. They have to wake up at 4 o’clock in the morning to get back on the bus to fight with the traffic coming back to work. The subway and all our public transport systems will be able to help and remedy so the quality of life in the city should improve significantly,” he added. By Azer Parrocha   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

The expansion of the Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA) is a huge infrastructure project that is scheduled to be operational by 2028. The local government of Cavite province has chosen the SPIA Development Consortium last September to implement the USD11 billion project. SPIA Development Consortium representatives were delighted for being chosen for the job, but they also said that the challenges ahead are great. The project will also commence in association with South Korean and European companies. The Engineering, Procurement and Construction consortium will be headed by Cavitex Holdings and the local financier House of Investments Corporation. They will also work with Samsung C&T.

Photo credit: The Department of Public Works and Highways The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is full speed ahead in the on-going 2.3-kilometer mountain road tunnel at the central portion of Davao City Bypass Construction Project aimed at improving mobility between Davao City and Panabo City. In his briefing to DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said that an expert tunnelling team from Japan together with Filipino engineers and skilled workers are expediting civil works for the on-going contract package 1 which covers the construction of a twin-tube 10 meter-diameter mountain road tunnel, the longest in the Philippines and an important component of the 45.5 kilometer Davao City Bypass Construction Project. Davao City Bypass Construction Project is among the priority infrastructure projects started during the term of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and continued as planned under the administration of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. Senior Undersecretary Sadain reported that progress of the on-going tunnel civil works at the north portal covering tunnel excavation, shotcrete works for excavation face, installation of steel ribs, wiremesh and final shotcrete, drilling and installation of rockbolts simultaneously at the northbound and southbound directions are at 196-meter and 237-meter, respectively. Secretary Bonoan together with Senior Undersecretary Sadain; Undersecretaries Eugenio R. Pipo Jr. and Carlos G. Mutuc; Project Directors Benjamin A. Bautista, Ramon A. Arriola III, and Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes of the Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations; and DPWH Region XI Director Rey Peter Gille inspected the on-going package 1 particularly the road tunnel’s north portal at Barangay Waan. “I am thrilled to see this project come to fruition, and really amazed to the tunnelling technologies and innovations using state-of-the-art equipment now applied here in the Philippines”, Secretary Bonoan said. Meanwhile, progress of the tunnelling activities from the opposite end at the south portal is at 264-meter for northbound direction and 203-meter at southbound direction. “People can see that this infrastructure project is making progress and the government is building something that is very exciting”, added Senior Undersecretary Sadain. The project is also expected to develop Filipino engineers and skilled workers with a new technical know-how on tunneling. Other than the mountain road tunnel, contract package 1 costing ₱13.230 Billion awarded to Shimizu – Ulticon - Takenaka joint venture involves the construction of four (4)-lane road with a length of 7.9 kilometers; three (3) bridges including the 200 meters Davao River Bridge; two (2) underpasses and two (2) overpasses; 12 box culverts (waterways); and four (4) at-grade intersection. Implemented by DPWH UPMO Operations - Roads Management Cluster I (Bilateral) headed by Project Director Bautista, the on-going project is under the on-site supervision and monitoring by Project Manager Joselito B. Reyes and Engrs. Juan M. Diña Jr. and Earl Nicholas F. Rada with Nippon Koei – Katahira - Nippon Engineering - Philkoei as engineering consultants. The Davao City Bypass Construction Project starting from Davao-Digos section of the Pan-Philippine Highway in Brgy Sirawan, Davao City going to Davao-Panabo section of the Pan-Philippine Highway in Brgy J.P. Laurel, Panabo City is expected to ease traffic situations along the areas. To optimize the construction schedule, the entire bypass road with a total length of 45.5 kilometer costing ₱46.8 Billion is divided into six (6) packages. The on-going CP 1-1 covering a 10.7 kilometers of 4-lane highway; CP 1-3 with a length of 6.1 kilometers with civil works procurred and to start early next year after the concurrence of contract; and CP 1-2 with a length of 12.8 kilometers are financed by Official Development Assistance (ODA) with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) thru the Special Terms for Economic Partnership (STEP) Loan Agreement Nos. PH-P261 and PH-P273 amounting ₱27.73 Billion and Government of the Philippines counterpart funds of ₱5.7 Billion. CP 2-1 (2.7 kilometers), CP 2-2 (3.5 kilometers), and CP 2-3 (9.7 kilometers) for civil works procurement will be implemeted through funds of the Philippine government amounting ₱13.37 Billion. Once completed by 2027, the bypass road will slash travel time between Toril, Davao City and the northern Panabo City, Davao Del Norte to under 49 minutes from the usual travel time of 1 hour and 44 minutes via Maharlika Highway.   Article courtesy of The Department of Public Works and Highways

Photo credit: Department of public works and highways Civil works have finally commenced for the much-awaited iconic bridge project that will connect the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) and Davao City in Southern Mindanao. President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., together with Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, People’s Republic of China Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Special Assistant to the President Secretary Antonio F. Lagdameo Jr., Davao City Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte, and Samal Mayor Al David T. Uy led the groundbreaking ceremony of the bridge project dubbed Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC). Also present during the groundbreaking were Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin Tulfo; National Defense Secretary Jose Faustino Jr.; National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos; DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain; DPWH Undersecretaries Eugenio R. Pipo Jr. and Carlos G. Mutuc; Davao del Norte Governor Edwin I. Jubahib, and other public works and local officials. “After many years in the DPWH pipeline of proposed projects, the long wait is finally over for this important bridge project to come to its realization. I am deeply honored to be in the presence of no less than the President himself as we mark another important breakthrough in the country’s infrastructure landscape,” said Secretary Bonoan. Samal Island-Davao City Connector is one of the key government to government cooperation projects between the Philippines and China, through a concessional loan agreement. President Marcos said that Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project is a testament to the strong and ever-growing foundation of the bilateral relations between the two (2) countries. “While I am fortunate to be the sitting President when we broke ground the project today, this project was actually begun by the previous administration of President Duterte who has been already working for this since 2018 or for four (4) years”, the President added. The Chief Executive is looking forward to also once again be the lucky one to open the bridge when it is finished. According to DPWH Senior Undersecretary Sadain, in-charge of DPWH flagship projects funded by Official Development Assistance, SIDC which will be built over a period of five (5) years by the Unified Project Management Office - Bridges Management Cluster and contractor China Road and Bridge Corporation will be the longest sea-crossing bridge in Davao Region that will significantly boost trade and tourism in the area. The scenic bridge project will have landing points from Samal Circumferential Road in Barangay Limao, IGaCoS and Davao City in between R. Castillo-Daang Maharlika junction. The project identification and preparation started in May 2018 followed by a selection workshop to identify among the five (5) shortlisted options to determine which and where the bridge project is deemed best located. Public consultations and key informant interviews were also carried out between May 2019 to January 2020 including discussion of concerns over the potential impact of the project to properties and businesses of project affected persons. Finally, the selected alignment of the proposed bridge project as it crosses the Pakiputan Strait along the southern corridor which have been exhaustively studied turned out to be the most beneficial in terms of technical, financial, economic, environmental and social impacts. The bridge project is designed to be a four (4)-lane cable-stayed extradosed iconic bridge with a total length of 3.98 kilometers including approaches with a vertical navigational clearance up to 47 meters supported by two (2) pylons with a height of 73 meters.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos inspects the rehabilitated Ormoc Airport after gracing the city’s 75th Charter Day anniversary in Leyte on Thursday (Oct. 20, 2022). Marcos expressed optimism that the development of the airport will bring more progress not only to the city but also the Eastern Visayas. (Photo from the Office of the President's official Facebook page) President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Thursday expressed optimism that the development of Ormoc Airport will bring more progress not only to the city but also to the Eastern Visayas region. This, after Marcos inspected the rehabilitated Ormoc Airport after gracing the city's 75th Charter Day anniversary celebration held at the Ormoc City Superdome in Leyte. "President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Thursday said opening the Ormoc Airport to commercial flights will usher in more development in the city and the Eastern Visayas region," Malacañang said in a press release. In September, Leyte 4th District Rep. Richard Gomez asked the Department of Transportation to help Ormoc City encourage airline companies to serve the Manila-Ormoc route. The total area of the airport’s passenger terminal building has been expanded from 150 to 1,350 square meters. The airport’s 2,042m x 36m runway underwent developments from 2018 to 2020 such as asphalt overlay and strip grade correction project and runway widening. Developments included the renovation of the passenger terminal building destroyed by Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, as well as the construction of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines administration building. The Ormoc Airport is currently being upgraded with the construction of the landing area and taxiway, and the expansion of its Apron. The PHP329-million project is expected to be completed in March 2023. Once completed, Ormoc airport will be able to accept bigger commercial aircraft. "The rehabilitation and renovation of Ormoc Airport and other airports in the country, under the supervision of the Department of Transportation - Philippines and Department of Tourism - Philippines, is part of the administration's program to strengthen the Philippine tourism sector," the Office of the President said in a separate Facebook post.    Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

Photo credit: Department of Transportation  Full-scale construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project is set to begin by February next year, an official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Monday. In a Laging Handa briefing, DOTr Undersecretary Timothy John Batan said the NSCR is the country’s largest railway project to date and the largest project funded by the Asian Development Bank, with the NSCR’s four recently signed contract packages worth a total of PHP91 billion. “Mag-uumpisa na po ang ating mga pre-construction activities nito pong huling parte ng 2022 at ito pong February 2023 ay mag-uumpisa na po ang ating full scale na construction works (We’ll begin pre-construction activities by the latter part of 2022 and by February 2023, we’ll begin full scale construction works),” Batan said. During its construction, he said the project is seen to create almost 10,000 jobs and boost the economic activity in project areas. Homeowners and informal settlers affected by the NSCR, he said, will be compensated through coordination with social housing finance corporations, the National Housing Authority (NHA), and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD). “Para po masigurado na ang atin pong mga maaapektuhan na mga kababayan ay magkakaroon po ng sapat na lilipatan at sapat po na kompensasyon para po sa kanilang mga tinamaan na mga ari-arian (This is to ensure that those affected by the project will have a suitable new home and adequate compensation for their property),” he said. The NSCR is a 142-kilometer railway system that will stretch from Clark International Airport (CRK) in Pampanga all the way south to Calamba in Laguna with a travel time of about one hour and 45 minutes, about half the time it would take to drive. Once operational, it is seen to have a daily passenger capacity of 350,000 and will have direct connections with other transportation projects such as the Metro Manila Subway. By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) now undertakes the conduct of land survey and geotechnical investigation using boring machine with the government finally proceeding with the detailed engineering design activities for the civil works construction of long-awaited Samal Island – Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project. DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain together with Assistant Secretary Constante A. Llanes Jr. and Project Director Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes of Unified Project Management Office-Bridges Management Cluster inspected the two (2) on-going drilling of boreholes for the geotechnical investigation at Davao onshore under supervision of Project Manager Joweto V. Tulaylay and Project Engineer John Christian T. Gaden. The geotechnical investigation plan prepared by design and build contractor China Road and Bridge Corporation will have a total of 97 boreholes - 63 for Davao onshore, 18 offshore, and 16 for Samal onshore. Senior Undersecretary Sadain said that the final alignment of the proposed main bridge including the connecting eastern/western offshore and onshore approach bridge, the Davao interchange ramp bridge and approach road have been exhaustively studied with most beneficial effects in terms of technical, financial, economic, environmental and social impacts. Although DPWH considered several proposals for the bridge alignment including the one (1) suggested during the recent meeting at DPWH Head Office between Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Davao del Norte Governor Edwin I. Jubahib, and the Rodriguez-Lucas family - owner of Samal’s Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort and Costa Marina Beach Resort, the approved final alignment for the sea crosssing bridge is a product of comprehensive study by experts and with important consideration to the environment and the necessary navigational safety management for seacraft and height restriction for air transport, added Senior Undersecretary Sadain. The project has all the necessary permits and requirements from concerned local government units and national government agencies and both the local government units of Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) and Davao City have expressed no opposition on the current bridge alignment, said Secretary Bonoan. The Infrastructure Development Council (IDC) of Regional Development Council (RDC) 11 has approved as early as 2019 the bridge’s alignment and landing points from Samal Circumferential Road in Barangay Limao, IGACOS to Davao City in between R. Castillo-Daang Maharlika junction, citing its economic and logistical benefits. The project has also obtained in December 2020 an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) based on the most recent detailed study on the bridge project by Consultants, Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Ltd. (Arup) which highlights that the current alignment has the least impact on reefs. DPWH allayed fears that the SIDC Project will have an adverse effect to marine life and the environment by adopting state-of-the-art modern technology in the construction of deep foundation for sea-crossing bridge. The alignment will not also affect the mountainous terrain of IGACOS compared to suggested alignment by some group. Part of the requirement that has been complied before the issuance of fhe Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) is the creation of the Multipartite Monitoring Team (MMT) and the establishment of Environmental Monitoring Fund (EMF) and Environmental Guarantee Fund (EGF). The EMF is a fund that the proponent shall commit to establish to support the activities of the MMT. Meanwhile, the EGF shall be established and used exclusively for the immediate rehabilitation of areas affected by damages to the environment and the resulting deterioration of environmental quality as a direct consequence of project construction, operation and abandonment. This fund is for the contingency clean-up activities, environmental enhancement measures, damage prevention programs and social equity measures (e.g. livelihood, social development programs) including the necessary information-education-communication and capability building activities related to the project. The Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) likewise issued Resolution No. 04, s.2020 in October 2020, giving clearance or expression of support for the SIDC Project, being outside the Samal Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (SIPLS). Furthermore, the DPWH has also issued a Letter Offer to each project affected person (PAP) in compliance with Section 6.2, IRR of R.A 10752, duly approved by Government Financial Institution (GFI) Appraisal Report presented by Landbank of the Philippines (LBP). Envisioned as a 3.98-kilometer, 4-lane bridge that will link Samal Island to Davao City, SIDC will cross over Pakiputan Strait with vertical clearance navigation of up to 47 meters, supported by two (2) pylons with a height of 73 meters. When completed, it is seen to facilitate the economic advancement of Davao Region, and further boost the tourism potential of IGACOS which is known for its pristine beach destinations.   Article courtesy of the Department of Public Works and Highways

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways Major Japanese expressway players visited the Davao City Bypass Road Construction Project in southern Philippines in line with the cooperation program between the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) to share the wealth of engineering expertise and technology on the construction, operation and maintenance of road tunnels and expressways. Together with DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain; Assistant Secretary Constante A. Llanes Jr.; MLIT Deputy Director General Homare Kubota and Consul General of Japan in Davao Ishikawa Yoshihisa; Project Directors Benjamin A. Bautista and Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes of DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations; and DPWH Region 11 OIC Assistant Director Joselito B. Caballero, the representatives of six (6) Japanese expressway firms toured on October 5, 2022 the north portal of the on-going tunnel project which is the centerpiece of Contract Package 1-1 of Davao City Bypass Construction Project. The expressway companies are Central Nippon Expressway Co. Ltd., East Nippon Expressway Co. Ltd., West Nippon Expressway Co. Ltd., Metropolitan Expressway Company Ltd., Hanshin Expressway Company Ltd., Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Expressway Company Ltd., and Japan Expressway International Company Ltd. including Philippine construction firm Prime Metro BMD Inc. and MGS Construction Inc. According to Senior Undersecretary Sadain, the observation visit is a follow through activity to the workshop in Manila which pave the way for productive discussions and good interactions between leaders of Filipino and Japanese companies engaged in expressway and road tunnel projects for possible future business collaboration. The Davao City Bypass Construction Project is setting unprecedented standards for twin tube road mountain tunnel construction. When completed, the road mountain tunnel project will be the longest in the Philippines at 2.3 kilometers. Another project in the pipeline in northern Luzon is the Dalton Bypass East alignment which has a tunnel component and with the loan negotiation expected to start soon. The workshop, which is covered by a Memorandum of Cooperation signed on October 4, 2022 by DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan and MLIT Minister Tetsuo Saito gives a more leverage on how the Philippines can improve and enhance technology by adopting the state of the art technologies of Japan especially on projects like tunneling, expressway, and even long inter-island bridges, said Senior Undersecretary Sadain. The 45.5-kilometer Davao City Bypass Construction Project is divided into six (6) contract packages (CP) with the on-going CP 1-1 awarded to the joint venture contractor Shimizu–Ulticon-Takenaka. The construction of the road tunnel involves excavation of tunnel portal areas using the conventional "New Austrian Tunneling Method”, mucking or removal of soil from tunnel interior, initial shotcrete to protect from risk of fall materials and to prevent loosening during shotcrete application, steel ribs installation to provide effective structural protection, second shotcrete with wire mesh to secure stability, and rock bolt installation to provide bearing force and become a part of tunnel support system. The completed tunneling has an average length of 200 meters for the northbound and southbound direction both at the north and south portal. An excavation of three (3) to (4) meters are accomplished per day on each portal directions using specialized equipment such as drill jumbo, concrete spraying machine and articulated dump hauler to excavate tunnel that has a diameter of 10 meters. The Davao City ByPass Road Construction Project is being implemented by DPWH Unified Project Management Office - Roads Management Cluster 1 (Bilateral) headed by Project Director Bautista with Project Manager Joselito B. Reyes as project in-charge. In addition to the tunnel, the contract package involves construction of four (4)-lane road with a length of 7.9 kilometers; three (3) pairs of bridges with total length of 500 meters including the Davao River Bridge; two (2) underpasses and two (2) overpasses; 12 waterways culverts; and four (4) at-grade intersection. The on-going Contract Package 1-1 costing ₱13.23 Billion is financed by Special Terms for Economic Partnership (STEP) Loan between Philippines and Japan International Cooperation Agency under loan agreement numbers PH-P261 and PH-P273. Japan-supported big-ticket projects have played a crucial role in shaping and bolstering the Philippine infrastructure landscape.   Article courtesy of the Department of Public Works and Highways