RESIDENTS, environmental advocates, and community organizations filed a Writ of Kalikasan with the Supreme Court (SC) on April 21, 2025, seeking to halt the ongoing construction of the Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project.
Lawyer Manuel Quibod, dean of the College of Law at Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) and co-counsel for the petitioners, said the petition aims to stop construction activities that have already harmed two critical coral ecosystems: Paradise Reef in Samal and the Hizon Marine Protected Area in Davao City.
"This petition underscores the irreversible damage being inflicted upon these marine ecosystems and calls for immediate action to safeguard our national heritage," Quibod said.
While not opposed to the SIDC itself, Quibod said the petition’s goal of relocating the bridge to avoid further harm to the coral ecosystems.
Similarly, Lawyer Mark Peñalver, executive director of Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (Idis), stressed that they are not against the bridge but its current location, which threatens both reefs.
Peñalver pointed out that the Japanese government's proposed alignment is not only shorter and cheaper by P7 billion but also has less environmental impact and fewer effects on livelihoods.
Achassi Biay, president of AdDU Green Juris, explained that the petition is the result of years of environmental warnings and community outcry. “We cannot afford to let the environmental damage become legally permissible in the guise or the facade of industrial development,” he said.
Filing of Writ of Kalikasan
The petitioners, including residents, environmental advocates, and community organizations from Samal Island and Davao City, are represented by lawyers Antonio La Viña, Kaloi Zarate, Jayvy Gamboa, Ericka Uyguangco, and Hazel Acero. They are joined by paralegals, local experts, and civil society groups such as the Sustainable Davao Movement (SDM), Save Samal Reefs Alliance, and Ateneo Public Interest and Legal Advocacy (Apila).
The respondents named in the petition are the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Samal Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (SIPLS), and the China Road and Bridge Corporation.
The petitioners are asking the SC to issue a Writ of Kalikasan to stop the SIDC project, grant a Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO) to halt construction, order a permanent cessation of the current alignment, and compel restoration and accountability for the environmental damage caused.
Once filed, the SC may issue the Writ of Kalikasan, requiring the respondents to respond, schedule hearings, issue a TPO, and if warranted, grant permanent relief by halting the project or ordering environmental rehabilitation.
The Writ of Kalikasan is a legal remedy under the Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases. It aims to stop environmental damage that affects life, health, or property in multiple cities or provinces. It can be issued against public officials or private entities responsible for such harm.
To recall, Davao City Councilor Temujin “Tek” Ocampo, chairperson of the committee on environment at the 20th City Council, challenged local environmental groups to file the Writ of Kalikasan with the SC, viewing it as the proper venue to halt the construction.
Damage to coral reefs
Dr. John Lacson, a scientist and biologist, revealed that the corals under the craneway 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.
Quibod 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).
Biay added that the petition is not just for current generations but for future ones. "Reefs are irreplaceable; they take centuries to form. By destroying them, we’re robbing future generations of their environmental inheritance."
About the SIDC Project
The SIDC, once completed, will feature a four-lane extradosed bridge with a 530-meter main span, a 570-meter land viaduct on the Davao side, and a 395-meter viaduct on the Samal side. It will also include marine viaducts of 350 meters on the west side and 510 meters on the east side, with ramps connecting to the R. Castillo–Daang Maharlika junction in Davao City and a 24-meter-wide at-grade road with a roundabout in Barangay Limao, Igacos.
The project, funded by a Chinese Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan, is under the contract of the China Road and Bridge Corporation, with a P20.84-billion design and build contract. RGP