Gov. Aris Aumentado eyes revival of Cebu-Bohol Friendship Bridge project

Bohol Gov. Aris Aumentado takes his oath as the new chairperson of the Regional Development Council in Central Visayas last Nov. 21, 2022. He was accompanied by his wife and 2nd district Rep. Maria Vanessa Aumentado. |  CDND File photo

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The proposed Cebu-Bohol Friendship Bridge project is among the infrastructure projects that the new head of the Regional Development Council in Central Visayas (RDC-7) wants to see implemented soon, if not during his term as RDC chairperson.

Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado said he has not given up hope on the project.

“Karon nga na governor [na] ta, ako gihapon na nga gipangandoy nga ma realize na. In fact, daghang gusto mo take sa project and amo pa nang estudyohan pud. Tungod kay sa nakadaghan [ang takers], dili na ta ka sure og how serious [they are] pud,” he said in a recent media interview.

The bridge project that will connect Cordova town in Cebu to Getafe town in Bohol province is estimated to cost at least P56.6 billion, the funding of which was supposed to be sources from Official Development Assistance (ODA).

The 24.5-kilometer chain of bridges and causeways was earlier listed as among the projects to be implemented under the Duterte administration’s Build, Build, Build program.

However, its implementation was put on hold after it identified by then Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Director-General Ernesto Pernia as among the big-ticket projects that will have to be shelved either because it was “very costly” or  “impossible” to build due to technological limitations.

For his part, Aumentado said, the bridge project remains feasible.

“Wala may problema sa pagplano, sa pagpahiluna sa tanang requirements para maimplementar na. Ang challenge ana ang pagpangita sa taker. So, nagpadayon na. Ever since nahimo kung congressman, nine years ko nga congressman, ato gyud gihapon na nga gipangandoy nga ma realize na,” said Aumentado, who was representative of the 2nd district of Bohol at the House of Representatives for three terms before he run and was elected Bohol governor in the May 2022 elections.

Last Nov. 21, he also took his oath as the new chairperson of RDC-7.

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