REALIGN...

would bridge gaps instead of create more divisions.

SIDC, popularly known as Samal-Davao bridge project, costs P23 billion, of which P19.3 billion was loaned from the Chinese government.

Marcos led the groundbreaking for the bridge project on Thursday with Vice President Sara Duterte and other key cabinet officials at the Damosa Land Property in Barangay Hizon.

The President said the bridge affirmed his administration’s “commitment and resolve to become a sturdy and purposeful link that bridges gaps between physical and geographical barriers, but also the various social structures that need to be connected and fortified as one.”

“Regardless of our individual strengths or merits, we will achieve nothing if we continue to permit divisions that halt us from connecting with each other,” he said.

A 100-page description of SIDC project published on the website of the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment

and Natural Resources says the land portion of the bridge will fall on the coast of Costa Marina Beach Resort, which is adjacent to Paradise Island Park & Beach Resort in Barangay Caliclic, Babak District of Samal Island and on some residential and industrial areas in Barangay Hizon in Davao City.

Paradise Reef, a 300-meter contiguous reef situated on the coast of the two resorts, is regarded as a “hidden treasure of Samal” that, conservationists say, is an important gene bank of marine creatures.

Yuan Xiao Cong, deputy general manager of the state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), told reporters that the construction of the project will be completed in five years.

The CRBC has been selected as the contractor for the project.

Yuan said the contractor has been conducting a geotechnical survey since September 1 while the actual civil works on the bridge are expected to start in February 2023.

Environment groups, including the Rodriguez and

Lucas families, operator of the two resorts, opposed the alignment of the bridge project, saying it will destroy Paradise Reef.

Santos urged the government to consider other sites for the alignment of the Davao-Samal bridge.

She said 100-year-old corals would be destroyed if the current alignment pushes through.

Environment groups would seek legal relief to bar the construction of the bridge if the government pushes through with the current alignment, she said.

Atty. Romeo Cabarde Jr., of the Ateneo Public Legal Assistance, added they would exhaust all other possible remedies before they would proceed with court action.

“As to the legal plan, we have it all in place. As we say, we always use the legal battle as the last resort, so we are exhausting all possible remedies we could. If push comes to shove, we will get our legal arsenal ready, so I think we are gearing towards that because we’re not getting any positive response,” he said.