President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has instructed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to resolve funding and implementation issues surrounding the Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) project to prevent construction delays.
The directive was issued during the 12th Economy and Development Council (EDC) meeting at Malacañang on Wednesday, November 11, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
”President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the DPWH to address funding and implementation concerns to keep the project on track for completion and deliver direct benefits to every Filipino family, emphasizing that government investments must translate into meaningful improvements in people’s daily lives,” the PCO stated.
”To ensure the project stays on track, the President has urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to proactively address funding and implementation concerns and resolve challenges that could delay construction,” the office added.
The SIDC project features a 3.98-kilometer, four-lane, cable-stayed bridge crossing the Pakiputan Strait, linking the R. Castillo-Daang Maharlika junction in Davao City to Barangay Limao on the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS). The landmark link aims to improve regional connectivity, facilitate the transport of people and goods, and stimulate local economic activity.
Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Modernization
Aside from the Davao-Samal bridge, President Marcos is pushing for the rehabilitation and modernization of the Agus-Pulangi Hydroelectric Power Plants to stabilize Mindanao’s power supply and protect consumers from high electricity costs.
During the evaluation, the President underscored the necessity of preserving the National Power Corporation’s (NPC) authority and accountability despite private sector involvement in day-to-day operations. Under the proposed framework, electricity tariffs would be capped at ₱4 per kilowatt-hour, pending approval from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
The rehabilitation targets raising the complex’s generation capacity to 1,001.96 megawatts and boosting annual power production from 3,746 gigawatt-hours to 4,305 gigawatt-hours.
The project will proceed through a 25-year public-private partnership between the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) and a consortium comprising San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corporation and Sta. Clara International Corporation, with a potential 25-year extension.
PSALM expects to select a private partner by December 2026, with rehabilitation slated to kick off in 2027.