By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Mark Villar said the proposed Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridge project will be finished within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.

According to Villar, feasibility studies for the project have already been completed.

Feasibility studies for the proposed bridge between Davao and Samal Island in Mindanao were also conducted, he added.

Currently, a Chinese team from the CCCC Highway Consultants Co. Ltd. is conducting a survey for Region 6’s inter-island bridge project.

Architects and engineers are also now concentrating on the detailed engineering and design phase before proceeding with the construction, Villar said.

Earlier this month, the Department of Finance announced the proposed bridge project may be funded through loans from China.

In a statement by Finance secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the public was assured that funds from the Chinese government will be used for the benefit of the Filipino people.

The bridge project, a key project of the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program, is earmarked at P40 billion.

When completed, the bridge would have a total span of 19 kilometers./DGB, WDJ