MORE than four years after construction began, the P516-million Tuganay Bridge in Carmen, Davao del Norte, envisioned as a vital artery to boost local trade, mobility, and economic activity in northern Mindanao, remains unfinished, fueling public frustration and calls for accountability. Now, the controversial project is once again in the spotlight after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced a sweeping investigation into long-delayed infrastructure works across the Davao Region, with the bridge as a key focus of the probe.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, in a press conference with Davao media on September 25, 2025, at the agency’s Engineering Office in Panacan, Davao City, ordered a comprehensive audit of infrastructure projects riddled with delays, cost overruns, and public complaints. He specifically demanded a full report on the Tuganay Bridge, which has become a symbol of government inefficiency and corruption in the region.
“Send me the details of Tuganay Bridge… We will look into it,” Dizon told DPWH Region-Davao Director Juby B. Cordon, warning that the audit would leave “no one” unaccountable. He also did not mince words in describing the core problem behind the delays, and that what really needs to be cleaned up here is the systemic corruption from top to bottom in the DPWH.
Dizon was accompanied by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who recently resigned as special adviser to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
The two had earlier led an inspection in the Municipality of Jose Abad Santos (JAS), Davao Occidental, where authorities uncovered a multimillion-peso ghost flood control project.
A project that promised progress
Located in Barangay Tuganay, Carmen, a key agricultural and trading municipality in Davao del Norte, the bridge was designed to span a crucial waterway connecting major road networks linking Panabo City, Tagum City, and surrounding municipalities.
The project was expected to shorten travel time, improve logistics, and boost trade by easing the transport of goods from farmlands to commercial centers. It also aimed to serve as a vital evacuation route during floods, a recurring hazard in the low-lying communities around the Libuganon River.
Construction of the Tuganay Bridge began in 2021 under the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program. However, work was suspended in 2022 due to funding shortfalls, after allocations were excluded from the national budget. And although it resumed in 2023, progress remained sluggish.
As of 2025, only the southbound lane is open to motorists, while the northbound lane remains incomplete.
The DPWH earlier explained that budget constraints caused the repeated suspensions.
Of the original P400 million allocated for the bridge, P71 million funded the first phase, P211 million went to the second phase, and P120 million was earmarked for the third. The agency now expects the bridge to be fully operational by 2026, five years after it was supposed to open.
Frustrated residents have mockingly dubbed Tuganay Bridge “the longest bridge in the Philippines” not because of its length, which spans only about 100 meters, but because of how long construction has dragged on.
Public outcry and local government action
The delays have sparked strong criticism from local officials and residents who rely on the bridge for daily transportation and commerce.
Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib, who has repeatedly raised the issue with the DPWH, renewed his call for a full investigation into the project.
“Ipagpatuloy natin ang imbestigasyon para masiguro natin na ang pera ng bansa ay nagagamit ng tama, isama natin sa ito sa (ipapaabot sa) blue ribbon (committee) at Ombudsman,” Jubahib said. He noted that motorists and local businesses have long suffered from the bridge’s delay, which continues to hamper transportation and economic activity in the region.
The provincial government has also launched its own inquiry into the status of the project and vowed to submit findings to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the Office of the Ombudsman.
Widening DPWH probe
The Tuganay Bridge is just one of several high-value infrastructure projects now under scrutiny as the DPWH intensifies its anti-corruption drive.
Secretary Dizon said the agency, with support from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), will conduct a region-wide audit covering projects that have either stalled or fallen significantly behind schedule.
Among those on the list is the Ma-a Flyover in Davao City, which began construction in April 2022 but remains incomplete, as well as major flood control projects in Mawab, Davao de Oro, and Nabunturan.
Dizon also ordered documentation on a P900 million flood control project in Laverna that has been delayed for years due to right-of-way disputes, a justification he described as often being used to “mask deeper problems.”
“Many are complaining why [the Ma-a Flyover] is so delayed, it has taken a long time, so I want to understand why it’s delayed,” Dizon said, adding that he plans to personally visit the sites as part of the probe. DEF