[ad_1]
DESPITE opposition due to its alleged environmental impact, the Department of Public Works and Roads (DPWH) will continue with the construction of the long-awaited Samal-Davao City Connector (SIDC) or Davao-Samal Bridge Project .
In a press release, the Secretary of Public Works and Highways, Mark Villar, revealed that DPWH recently held a coordination meeting with different stakeholders to address the concern in the construction of the 3.98-kilometer bridge project that will connect the Garden City Isla de Samal (Igacos) with Davao City.
Villar said the meeting was held to promote the Davao-Samal bridge, which is expected to begin construction in January 2021.
“DPWH officials are in discussions with stakeholders to ensure that we are addressing environmental concerns and project concerns prior to commencing design and construction activities scheduled for January 2021,” said the DPWH secretary.
The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Secretary of Operations of the Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) of the DPWH, Emil Sadain, which was attended by the Director of the Cluster II of Road Management of the DPWH UPMO (UPMO-RMC 2) Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim, Davao del Norte Governor Edwin I. Jubahib, Isla The Mayor of Garden City of Samal, Al David T. Uy, and other project stakeholders.
In a previous report by SunStar Davao, some stakeholders expressed their opposition to the construction of the bridge as it would cause irreversible damage to the reef that the bridge will traverse.
“During construction, there would be massive sedimentation,” said Joey Gatus, a natural resource management consultant for the Save Paradise Reef movement.
The Davao-Samal Bridge is a P23.04 billion bridge that will connect Samal Island to the mainland. The project consists of the construction of a 2.8 kilometer four-lane bridge. The project is being implemented by the central office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The project feasibility study was already completed in 2019 with the bridge design and construction project to be financed by the China Loan Financing Facility under the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA).
According to the SIDC project description report by Ove Arup and Partners Hong Kong Ltd (Arup), which was chosen by DPWH as the lead consultant for the SIDC Project Feasibility Study, the properties directly affected by the bridge alignment in the Samal side is owned by the Rodríguez family. The family owns the popular Paradise Island Beach and Resort. The report was published in 2019.
The report states that the demolition, excavation, pile driving and construction of bridge structures will cause “changes in channel beds and impacts on fish and aquatic life.” In an attempt to address this issue, proponents will strictly observe and implement the Site Protection and Rehabilitation Program and materials management, which provide for soil erosion control measures. Proponents will also “observe best practices in proper construction procedures that promote care and minimal disturbance to the existing environment.”
Sadain, meanwhile, said during the meeting that the acquisition of the right-of-way for the project is still ongoing. He admitted that this phase posed a great challenge in the course of implementing the bridge.
However, he said ongoing negotiation is taking place with all affected stakeholders and that they hope to reach an agreement soon.
“In the end, people can openly understand the value of the socioeconomic development that this project could bring on the cost of the affected land. The government must always understand and respect the dynamic land acquisition process and must employ patience and cultural sensitivity. / ancestral in conducting this process, “Sadain said.
DPWH said that in May 2020, the City’s Office of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao Region had already issued a certification citing that the SIDC project site is not within the National System. Integrated Protected Areas.
A 20-day review of the substantive environmental impact statements for the issuance of the Certificate of Environmental Compliance is also underway, with a public hearing scheduled for September 28, 2020.
[ad_2]
