VICE President Sara Duterte thanked the Chinese government for funding the construction of the Bucana Bridge in Davao City, amid the Marcos administration’s statement that the project is among its four “legacy projects.”
She also expressed gratitude to her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, saying he secured the funding for the bridge when she was still Davao City mayor.
In a livestreamed conversation with supporters posted on the Alvin & Tourism Facebook page, the Vice President shared the “backstory” of the project, insisting that the bridge materialized because of the efforts of her father and the Chinese government.
“Nagpapasalamat kami kay dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte dahil hindi siya tumigil sa paghahanap ng pondo… At siyempre nagpapasalamat tayo sa People’s Republic of China dahil buong-buo nilang binigay ang cost ng tulay,” she said from The Hague on Friday, December 5.
She said the city and national governments did not spend for the project. “Walang gastos ang city government of Davao, walang gastos ang Pilipinas,” she added, emphasizing the bridge’s importance in linking the city’s southern and northern areas.
According to Duterte, her father was informed there was no funding for the project while he was president and she was mayor, prompting him to begin negotiations, planning, and documentation during his term.
“Dapat natin itong ipagpasalamat… dahil nagbe-benefit din ang mga taga-Mindanao sa coastal road na ’yan,” she said.
The P3.1-billion Bucana Bridge connects Barangay 76-A Bucana and Matina Aplaya, providing a faster and safer route for motorists and accommodating up to 14,000 vehicles daily.
Funded through China’s Official Development Assistance, the project features a 480-meter, six-span extradosed bridge supported by 860 meters of approach roads, with pedestrian and shared-use paths.
