Department of Public Works and Highways 11 (DPWH 11) spokesperson Dean Ortiz on Monday bared that a work resumption order for the Samal Island-Davao City (SIDC) Connector Project has been issued on February 1, 2024.
Ortiz said the work resumption order was handed down following the approval of the Detailed Engineering Design (DED) plans for land viaduct foundation and the resolution of the inaccessibility issue, relative to the geotechnical investigation, brought about by right-of-way (ROW) acquisition for Davao City and Samal Island sides.
“If you remember na suspend ning DED phase because of ROW issue kay there are some portions na dili ta maka-conduct ug soil explorations because wala pa ta naka sulod sa property,” Ortiz said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao on Monday.
The DPWH reported that the DED plans for the substructure of the Land Viaduct sections of the bridge, duly approved by Undersecretary Ador G. Canlas, were already transmitted by the Bureau of Design (BOD) to Unified Project Management Office-Bridges Management Cluster (UPMO-BMC) through a letter dated December 5, 2023.
“For the SIDC project, it’s a go. We’re just waiting for the, naa naman tay work resumption order on February 1, 2024, and we’re counting three months for us to start the civil works phase. But within those three months that we will be waiting, the equipment and the manpower of the contractor will be magsugod na sila ug deploy,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz said that based on the report of DPWH, all 10 lots on the Samal Island side and four lots on the Davao City side of the SIDC Connector Project under expropriation were already turned over to DPWH in compliance with the issued Writ of Possessions by the concerned Regional Trial Courts (RTCs).
He said the check payments for five out of 55 lots in Davao City side under negotiated sale were already released, while the remaining are already under process for release in the department.
“Under negotiated sale meaning ni okay na ni sila,” Ortiz said.
The checks will be released once the Notice of Cash Allocation, requested on January 19, 2024, by DPWH becomes available.
Ortiz also said that when DPWH acquired the properties, especially on the Davao City side, it continued to explore the properties.
He said 104 out of 106 boreholes in total for the Davao City side, offshore, and Samal Island side for the design of the bridge structures have been completed.
He also said the two remaining boreholes located at the foreshore of the Samal Island side of the project are now ready for geotechnical investigation by virtue of the recently issued DENR order: Amendment of Foreshore Lease Agreement (FLA) between DENR and EL Paril Resort, Inc. dated December 11, 2023 and turning over of the possession and occupation of the affected portion of the foreshore to DPWH on January 10, 2024.
