“Yesterday was never a political event, which should not be addressed as something political; that is my official stand on that. It was part of his job as Chief Executive,” Magno said during the Business Forum held at NCCC Victoria Plaza on Friday, December 5.
Magno clarified criticisms of the President’s visit to the Bucana Bridge, officially known as the Davao River Bridge, despite his firm stance against China in the West Philippine Sea issue. The P4.34-billion bridge is partly funded by China’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) and was designed and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corp. under an agreement signed with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in December 2020.
Magno said the President acknowledged the advanced technology used and the swift completion of the project by the Chinese contractors. “If you listen to what the President said, he praised those responsible for the project ‘paki check ang interview’ matagaltagal ang interview ng media na nandon he praised the Chinese contractors, the technology that was used maganda and mabilis,” Magno said, adding that he was saddened that the inspection had been politicized.
“Nakakalungkot lang minsan napopolitica, but it was an inspection, a job of the Chief Executive, part of what the President does not only here in Davao but the entire country, where he inspects projects that will be good for the Filipino people. It was not political. The President is doing his job to help uplift the Filipinos,” Magno said.
During the inspection, President Marcos was quoted by the media as saying: “The bridge is constructed along with the bypasses around Davao City. Travel time, which used to be almost two hours, will be reduced to 25 minutes. So this will be a big relief now that the Christmas holidays are here, and we know the traffic situation. We will open the bridge on December 15. The entire bypass will be completed by December 2027. This is one of the four major projects, legacy projects, that we’ll be finishing in Davao and its environs…And congratulations to DPWH for their good attention to this matter and those who work on it. Congratulations, and we are looking forward to December 15 when traffic will be opened here.”
Magno said the President is aware that the bridge forms part of the entire stretch of the Davao Coastal Road project initiated during the administration of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Marcos, however, said during the interview that the bridge project was approved in 2022 and began construction in 2023. Now completed, it will open to commuters on December 15 and is expected to cut travel time from the city’s south to the downtown area to about 30 minutes.
Secretary Leo Tereso A. Magno, chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority, updates the Davao City media on the Mindanao Development Agenda under his leadership during the Business Forum, Friday (Dec.5) at NCCC Victoria Plaza.
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