Family affected by Davao-Samal bridge seeks dialogue with DPWH

DPWH PHOTO
DPWH PHOTO

DESPITE continuous opposition to the alignment of the Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project (Davao-Samal Bridge), the family whose property will be affected by the bridge's alignment is willing to talk to the project implementer for a "win-win" solution.

"The family is ready to sit down with the DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways] with the intention of arriving at a win-win solution so that the implementation of the bridge project is not stalled or hampered by delays," the legal counsel for the Rodriguez-Lucas Family said in a statement to the media Wednesday, September 28.

The Rodriguez-Lucas Family, in previous reports, had recently urged President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. to review the alignment of the bridge, which they believed could cause irreversible damage to the environment.

Based on scientific findings by expert marine biologists, the camp said the current alignment will “irreversibly and irreparably” damage the Paradise Reef. They said it is among the last remaining healthy coral reefs in Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos), which was preserved as a de facto marine sanctuary for almost a century.

According to an independent environmentalist presented by the family to DPWH, it has noted that a dive or snorkel would make it evident how the Paradise Reef is "rich, productive, and teeming with life."

In their recent statement, they continue to echo that they are not against the construction of the Davao-Samal Bridge. However, they said, "for its present alignment which was arbitrarily chosen."

The legal team said the family, "[a]s a gesture of goodwill", offered to donate to the government Bridgeport as an alternative landing site in Samal Island.

They said the area is "a valuable piece of property with less marine life just a short distance away from the old shipyard."

"Surprisingly, this offer remains unaccepted up to this time. Bridgeport was notably recommended by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as the preferred landing site in Samal as the bridge will be shorter, cheaper, and will spare rich marine life from destruction," the counsel said.

They added the current alignment was chosen in Manila by a few government officials "without consultation with local landowners and stakeholders and even before an Environmental Impact Statement was conducted."

"Hence, it can be surmised that the DENR was deprived of the opportunity to inform itself of other alignments with less environmental impacts, including the JICA-recommended alignment, before the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for the bridge was granted," the legal team said.

The team also saw procedural lapses in the issuance of the required ECC were noted.

They said the ECC was issued without a prior Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) clearance, which is an essential requirement.

According to Proclamation No. 2152, s. 1981, the entire island is a protected area, being classified as a Mangrove Swamp Forest Reserve, which became an initial component of the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS).

“Its boundary has not been modified by an act of Congress to date. Therefore, it is misleading to state that the landing site on Samal Island is outside the declared protected area. A valid PAMB Clearance, therefore, is essential before an ECC could be issued,” the family’s legal counsel said.

“While the airport height limits and navigation channel requirements have been raised as a concern, we trust that engineering solutions are available to address the same, with the end view of implementing a cost-efficient and environmentally sustainable bridge project,” they added.

SunStar Davao is still trying to get the reaction of DPWH in response to the opposite party's statement.

Chinese Consul-General Li Lin, in a previous interview, said that the groundbreaking of the bridge is targeted to be in July 2022. This after the Philippines and China signed the Framework Agreement and Loan Agreement for Davao-Samal Bridge on June 13.

Lin said the concessional loan will be approximately $350 million to finance the project.

In a press release on July 6, DPWH said the Connector Project is ready to start.

However, as of writing, the project implementers have not yet announced any reason for the delays in its groundbreaking.

Meanwhile, groundworks for the soil testing on what would be the foundation of the SIDC have started in Lanang, Davao City.

DPWH-Davao has also yet to issue a statement on the construction of the bridge.

The SIDC is a two-way four-lane 3.86-km bridge with the main bridge having a length of 1.62-km long.

The China-funded project is envisioned as a modern bridge that will connect the Samal Circumferential Road in Barangay Limao, Island Garden City of Samal to Davao City between R. Castillo-Daang Maharlika junction.

The target completion of the Samal-Davao bridge is by the year 2027. RGL

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