DESPITE this year's budget constraints, the Department of Public Works and Highways-Davao Region (DPWH-Davao) confirmed that the construction of the Davao-Samal Bridge remains ahead of schedule and continues to progress.
During the Habi at Kape press conference at Abreeza Ayala Malls on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, DPWH-Davao spokesperson Dean Ortiz said the agency requested P4.86 billion from the national government for the project but has so far received only P314 million, prompting it to seek additional funding.
Despite the funding shortfall, Ortiz said that as of June 25, 2026, the bridge had reached 61.334 percent completion, slightly ahead of the target accomplishment of 61.26 percent for the period.
Addressing rumors circulating online that construction had stopped due to an apparent lack of workers in videos posted on social media, Ortiz clarified that workers may not have been visible because they were on break when the footage was taken.
"The reports saying the project has stopped are not true. Anyone can visit the site to verify that work is continuing," he said.
Ortiz said the regular work schedule at the project site runs from 6 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. He added that there are also 24-hour work operations to allow simultaneous construction in four sections of the bridge.
"We are now concentrating on the superstructure since we have already installed the box girders," he said.
Ortiz also confirmed that the project's target completion date remains September 2028, although he noted that the timeline may still be subject to change due to the funding constraints. CYRUS DECOLAS, UM, SUNSTAR DAVAO INTERN
