The Chinese government has approved a USD350 million loan to the Philippine government to help fund the construction of the Samal Island-Davao City bridge.
![](https://vismin.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/samal-davao-bridge-2-1024x704.jpg)
According to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian on his Facebook post, the Davaoeños long-dreamed project will finally come true.
The ambassador exchanged signed framework and credit agreements for the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III at a ceremony at the Department of Finance in Manila.
The agreement indicates that the Chinese government would offer the Philippines with a USD350 million (roughly around P18.6-Billion) concessional loan to help finance the construction of a two-way four-lane 3.86-kilometer bridge linking Davao City and Samal Island in Davao del Norte across the Pakiputan Strait.
![](https://vismin.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/samal-davao-bridge-3-1024x579.jpg)
In a separate report, 80% of the total cost will be shouldered by China through this loan while the 20% will come from the national government under the General Appropriations Act.
Thousands of people are projected to be employed in the construction of the project.
According to a Department of Public Works and Highways project report, the bridge connecting Davao City and Samal Island was initially conceived in the 1980s.
![](https://vismin.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/samal-davao-bridge-1-1024x533.jpg)
The project’s initial feasibility assessment was presented in 2019. The Philippine and Chinese governments signed a commercial deal for the project’s design and construction in January 2021.
It was once estimated that the building would take 54 months or 4.5 years.
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