Grant or funding for the P6.3B main bridge in the Panglao-Tagbilaran offshore connector is positively being considered.
The Chinese government is positively considering giving billions of funds to build the main bridge in the Panglao Island – Tagbilaran City Offshore Bridge Connector Project.
The main bridge will cost P6.389 billion and P5.838 billion of this will be grant financing from China while the Philippine government will provide P551 million.
This was formally announced by Chinese Embassy Minister Counselor Yang Guoliang to the Philippine government through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) last December.
The same official information was sent by DPWH Bridges Management Cluster – Unified Project Management Office (BMC-UPMO) Project Director Rodrigo Delos Reyes to Cong. Edgar Chatto and was received by him only last February.
This is in response to Chatto’s letter to DPWH Sec. Manuel Bonoan last November who informed him of the proposed grant from China and the time frame for working on the main bridge until the entire project is completed.
According to Delos Reyes in his letter on December 28, 2022 but was only received by Chatto on February 14, 2023, the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) has already completed the initial review and “positively considered funding the project through grant financing.”
Therefore, CIDCA has started the bidding for feasibility study companies to be sent to the Philippines for on-site appraisal and technical discussions with the Philippines.
According to Delos Reyes to Chatto, all of these were conveyed to the Chinese Embassy to the DPWH through a letter from Minister Counselor Yang last December 6 last year.
Delos Reyes assured Chatto that the DPWH, through BMC-UPMO, will continue to coordinate with China on other details. (with a report from Ven Arigo)