THE proposed bridge connecting the islands of Cebu and Bohol is “still far from reality” because it lacks a feasibility study (FS), according to Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado.
Speaking at a Regional Development Council (RDC) 7 reorganizational meeting on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, Aumentado said the study is the essential first step before the project can proceed.
The RDC 7 has endorsed the project for potential National Government funding.
“That’s why we say that it still far from reality because there is no clear FS yet. It all begins with the FS,” Aumentado said in Cebuano.
Among the things that need to be studied first would be if the bridge’s construction would affect the declaration of the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef (DBDBR) as a Protected Landscape and Seascape. The DBDBR is situated between Cebu and Bohol.
“I think if we’re going to push for it, we need to start with the agency that will support this program like DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) since that is the agency for infrastructure,” Aumentado added.
He said a private investor could also do proposals for the bridge through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
In Nov. 2019, SunStar Cebu reported that the proposed Cebu-Bohol and Cebu-Negros bridges were not on the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” list due to engineering challenges.
The Build! Build! Build! (BBB) Program, with a target of P8 to P9 trillion pesos in investment between 2016 and 2022, was the flagship infrastructure initiative of former President Rodrigo Duterte. It was aimed at ushering in a “Golden Age of Infrastructure.”
At the time, DPWH Central Visayas Director Edgar Tabacon cited the deep sea as a problem, saying the necessary technology did not exist.
In March 2024, the RDC 7 endorsed a new proposal for the bridge and other projects to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
According to RDC 7 Director Jennifer Bretaña, these initiatives will improve physical and economic connectivity across the region.
The projects include a feasibility study for the Negros-Cebu-Bohol Friendship Bridge, along with new programs for flood control, water supply, and sustainable agriculture. /CDF