ISLAND Garden City of Samal (Igacos) Mayor Lemuel “Toto” Reyes aims to prepare the city’s transport system in time for the completion of the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge (SIDC), more commonly known as DavSam Bridge.
Reyes conducted a consultancy meeting on Sunday, September 7, 2025, to help lay down the plans for the future transportation of the Island.
The mayor met with Senior Consultant on Public Transport of the Office of Senator Raffy T. Tulfo and President of the National Public Transport Coalition (NPTC) Ariel P. Lim, City Planning and Development coordinator Atty. Eleazar Lape, President of the United Association of Tricycle Operators and Drivers of Samal (Unatods) Estelito Lenogon, and representatives from the Land Transportation Office-Traffic Safety Division.
“The discussion centered on preparing Samal’s public transport system for the expected influx of vehicles and tourists, revisiting and strengthening the Local Transport Code, and mapping out safe, efficient, and sustainable mobility solutions for the island,” Samal Island Information wrote in their Facebook post.
Reyes stressed that collaboration between the local government unit, national government, and local stakeholders would ensure a future-ready transport system that will support the growth and help maintain the livability of the island.
SIDC lessens travel travel time
The SIDC is a toll-free, four-lane extradosed bridge, which will span 4.76 kilometers, connecting R. Castillo–Daang Maharlika in Davao City to the Samal Circumferential Road. It features a 275-meter main span, 47-meter vertical clearance for marine traffic, and a 1.62-kilometer marine section supported by 73-meter-high pylons.
The project includes roundabouts, ramps, and approach roads.
The project is funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the People’s Republic of China, managed by the DPWH Unified Project Management Office–Bridges Management Cluster, and implemented by China Road and Bridge Corporation.
Once completed, the bridge is expected to significantly reduce travel time, boost tourism, and promote economic activity across the Davao Region.
It will drop travel time between the two cities from 55 minutes via ferry to just 4.5 minutes and is expected to handle about 25,000 vehicles daily.
The P20.8-billion project broke ground in October 2022 and began full-scale civil works in May 2024.
Damage to the marine environment
Meanwhile, scientist and biologist Dr. John Lacson revealed that the corals under the craneway of the bridge are already dead, and further damage is expected if the bridge is built.
He said 33 percent of Paradise Reef has already died due to ongoing construction.
“If they kill the rest of it, we would be damaging a vital source of fish,” he said.
Lawyer Manuel Quibod, dean of the College of Law at Ateneo de Davao University (Addu) and co-counsel for the petitioners, said the construction activities, including barge anchoring, borehole drilling, soil testing, and crane installation, have degraded the marine ecosystem in the area.
He added that the coral reef destruction violates the Expanded NIPAS Act, Davao City Ordinance No. 0861-22 (the Comprehensive Land Use Plan 2019-2028), and Presidential Decree No. 1586 (the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System).
Petition to realign the bridge
A petition for the Writ of Kalikasan was filed on April 21, 2025, by residents and environmental groups, urging the halting of construction activities threatening vital coral ecosystems. While supportive of the bridge project in principle, the petitioners are seeking its realignment to protect marine biodiversity.
A Writ of Kalikasan is a legal remedy granted to protect the constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology when such is violated or threatened by unlawful acts or omissions.
The Supreme Court (SC) en banc then issued a Writ of Kalikasan on the SIDC on July 1, 2025, and named the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Samal Island Protected Landscape and Seascape Protected Area Management Board, and China Road and Bridge Corporation as respondents.
The Court ordered them to file a verified return of the petition within a non-extendible period of ten days from the writ's service.
On June 10, 2025, the CA denied the issuance of the Tepo to stop the construction of the SIDC.
A Tepo is a provisional order issued by a court directing a person or entity performing an act that may cause environmental damage to halt whatever it is doing. The Tepo ensures the preservation of the status quo where the environmental harm is ongoing or is likely to occur pending the final resolution of the environmental case.
The petitioners of the Writ of Kalikasan then expressed strong disappointment over the non-issuance of the Tepo by the CA, citing that the order would have halted the ongoing construction that has damaged Paradise Reef in Samal and the Hizon Marine Protected Area in Davao City.
The group said that the setback of the non-issuance of Tepo has hardened their resolve to fight for the reefs, fisherfolks, law, and future.
However, Environmental lawyer Jenny Ramos, said that the Writ of Kalikasan for the Samal Island–Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project will continue, despite the Court of Appeals (CA) denying the issuance of a Temporary Environmental Protection Order (Tepo).
“Continue pa gihapon ang case, that means in order pa rin ang Writ, the court required those respondents to submit a return so kailangna gihapon sila magtubag so padayon gihapon ang kaso, so dili siya dismissal sa total case, dismissal lang siya sa provisional remedy,” she said in a media interview, on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at the Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU).
(The case is still ongoing, which means the Writ is still in order. The court required the respondents to submit a return, so they still need to respond. So the case continues. It's not a dismissal of the entire case, only a dismissal of the provisional remedy).
SIDC 41% complete
In its latest report, DPWH said that the SIDC is already 41 percent complete as of August 22, 2025.
Construction is advancing steadily on multiple fronts. Seven high pier columns for the land viaducts on both the Davao and Samal sides are completed. Foundation work for the 275-meter main navigation bridge is in progress.
On the Samal side, the steel caisson cofferdam is being prepared for concrete sealing, while on the Davao side, the seal concrete bottom slab is done, and preparations are underway to lower the caisson after inspections. RGP