Photo courtesy: (Robinson Niñal Jr./ PNA )
One of the most beautiful coastal boulevards in the world is that of Davao City. A little over 17 kilometers it was contracted by the government in 2018 and awarded to a joint venture of Wee Eng Construction, Inc and Hi-View Resources and Development Corporation at the cost of ₱234- million. Part of the boulevard is already opened and the last of the segments is on the final stage.
Part of the coastal boulevard is the Bucana Bridge project which the government contracted separately with the China Road and Bridge Corporation at a total contract cost of P3. 126 billion. It is also funded by China through a grant. Last week a ceremonial final cement pouring was done inauspiciously signaling the final touches on the bridge ahead of its completion date.
Visible from the coastal boulevard is the Davao- Samal Bridge. The four-kilometer four-lane bridge which was also awarded to China Road and Bridge Corporation which won under a design-and-build contract. It cost ₱23-billion and at the speed of its construction it is expected to be completed and operational by 2027. It was a subject of legal interventions just recently but the Court of Appeals gave the construction a green signal. Once finished it will be the longest bridge in the Philippines.
A major 30 kilometers bypass road including bridges and tunnels that connects Davao City and Davao del Norte are being undertaken by the contractors – Shimizu-Ulticon-Takenaka Joint Venture and consultant Nippon Koei-Nippon Engineering-Katahira Engineers and Philkoei Joint Venture- at a dizzying pace.
Meanwhile, a ₱1.4- billion flyover project with a length of less than a kilometer being undertaken by DPWH remains in limbo. Started eons ago no one can speculate as to when the four-lane flyover will be completed. DPWH came out with so many alibis for the delay citing road right of way problems and relocation of utility poles. But the flyover infrastructure straddles right on top of the portion of the Pan Philippine Highway so one wonders what road right of way are they talking about. As to the cables, the utilities needed less than a day or two to relocate the few posts affected by the construction activity.
So you see, not everything in Davao City surpasses the standard of efficiency. We have in DPWH a monument of incompetence.
