Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chair Secretary Leo Tereso Magno on Friday rejected speculation that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to the P3.126‑billion, China‑funded Bucana Bridge was politically driven — a claim that immediately clashed with the President’s own remarks during the event.
Speaking at the year‑end Business Forum at Probinsya Restaurant in NCCC Victoria Plaza, Magno said the President’s Thursday site visit was meant purely to acknowledge China’s assistance and to highlight the engineering work behind the structure, which is expected to spur economic activity in Davao City and the wider Mindanao region.
“Yesterday was not political. It was an inspection, not an inauguration. The President merely commended the Chinese contractors and the technology applied,” Magno said, adding that such inspections are routine presidential duties.
Magno said he issued the clarification amid online commentary portraying the visit as a political gesture.
However, during the same visit, Marcos described the Bucana Bridge as “one of the four major… legacy projects” his administration would complete in Davao and its surrounding areas. He also referenced progress on the bypass road as though the project’s timeline were rooted in his term, despite the bridge having been initiated under the previous administration and funded entirely through a Chinese grant.
Marcos also announced that the bridge would open to motorists on December 15, in time for the holiday season.
The President’s remarks triggered a wave of online criticism, with social media users accusing him of taking credit for a project conceptualized and commenced during the Duterte administration. The backlash quickly overshadowed his statements acknowledging China’s contribution and the engineering work behind the structure.
Once operational, the 480‑meter Bucana Bridge is expected to accommodate around 35,000 vehicles daily and help ease congestion in downtown Davao City.
