A Cabinet-level government body approved restructuring the ongoing Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) project, which aims to improve connectivity and expand economic opportunities in Mindanao.
In a statement, the Department of Finance said the Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CC), co-chaired by Finance Secretary Frederick Go, approved the changes.
The DOF, however, did not disclose the particular changes to the project under the approved restructuring.orsed in October 2026 to the Economic Development (ED) Council, the foreign-funded project will connect Davao City and Samal Island through a four-lane, toll-free bridge. The design accommodates around 25,000 vehicles daily.
The project will be submitted to President Marcos, chair of the ED council, for approval.
‘By improving connectivity between Davao City and Samal Island, we are supporting local businesses and creating more opportunities for communities,’ Go said.
Last year, the Supreme Court issued a Writ of Kalikasan against the project. The order is a legal remedy that protects one’s Constitutional right to a healthy environment, as outlined under the 1987 Constitution.
On one hand, environmental advocates Carmela Marie Santos, Mark Peñalver, and the Sustainable Davao Movement filed the petition for the writ.
They argued that the ongoing construction of the bridge threatens ‘actual, serious, and irreversible damage’ to vital marine ecosystems, specifically citing the coral reefs in Paradise Reef on Samal Island and the Hizon Marine Protected Area in Davao City.
Separately, the DOF stated that the bridge will make access to jobs, education, markets, tourism destinations, and essential services more convenient, while also supporting local businesses and boosting economic activity in the area.
Also at the ICC-CC meeting were representatives from the Office of the Executive Secretary, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development, the Department of Budget and Management, the Department of Energy, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.