Marilyn Cahatol

Vice President Sara Duterte graces the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry's 50th Philippine Business Conference and Expo in Pasay City on October 22, 2024. Vice President Duterte has faced various reactions following her statements about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family during an October 18 press briefing.
Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Sara Duterte @ PCCI Expo

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte expressed gratitude for her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and the People&#x27;s Republic of China for the funding of the newly completed Bucana Bridge in Davao City.</p><p>This comes after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., along with other officials, visited the 1.3-kilometer bridge Thursday, December 4 ahead of its opening to motorists on December 15.</p><p>In an ambush interview in the Hague, the Netherlands on December 5, Duterte recounted that during her time as Davao City mayor, the Davao City Coastal Bypass Road had funding but not its component Bucana bridge.</p><p>It was then the patriarch Duterte who looked for fund source, according to the vice president.</p><p>“And it was made known at that time to former President Duterte that the bridge is unfunded. At siya ay naghanap ng paraan para mabigyan ng pondo yung bridge,” the vice president said.</p><p>“Nagpapasalamat kami kay dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte dahil hindi siya tumigil sa paghanap ng pondo para doon sa tulay. At syempre, nagpapasalamat tayo sa People&#x27;s Republic of China dahil buong-buo nila binigay yung entire cost ng tulay na iyon,” she added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/3/pcg-spots-more-chinese-ships-near-bajo-de-masinloc-1823">PCG spots more Chinese ships near Bajo de Masinloc</a></div><p>The second-in-command emphasized that the project had “no cost to the government”.</p><p>“So, walang gastos ang City Government of Davao, walang gastos ang Pilipinas para tayo magkaroon ng bridge na iyon. At napakahalaga ng bridge na iyon dahil hindi mag-connect ang south to north kung wala &#x27;yung bridge,” Duterte further noted.</p><p>When asked to comment on Marcos Jr. saying that the bridge is “one of our four legacy projects,” Duterte responded: “Basta sa akin, yan na lang. Bilang Dabawenyo at bilang Mindanawon, nagpapasalamat ako kay dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte dahil ang totoo talaga niyan, alam niya at the time, yung problema ko bilang mayor na may coastal road, may budget ang coastal road, pero wala kaming budget para sa tulay.&quot;</p><p>“At yes, as I said, yung source of fund ang People&#x27;s Republic of China. Sila yung pinagpapasalamatan ko,” she added.</p><p>The project began in late 2023 and was funded through China’s Official Development Assistance, according to the Presidential Communications Office.</p><p>“Funded through a ₱3.126-billion China Aid Grant program of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the Bucana Bridge is a landmark achievement of sustained international cooperation and high-quality project implementation,” the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said in an August 2025 press release.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/business/09/07/22/dpwh-presents-44-projects-to-continue-build-build">DPWH presents 44 flagship infrastructure projects to continue Build, Build, Build</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘ODA’</strong></div><p>In its glossary of terms, the Department of Budget and Management defined the Official Development Assistance (ODA) as a loan or loan and grant “administered to promote sustainable social and economic development and welfare of the Philippines.”</p><p>“ODA resources must be contracted with governments of foreign countries with whom the Philippines has diplomatic, trade relations or bilateral agreements, or which are members of the United Nations, their agencies, and international or multilateral lending institutions,” it explained.</p><p>It elaborated further that a grant element is computed as the “ratio of a) the difference between the face value of the loan or loan and grant and the debt service payments to; and b) the face value of the loan or loan and grant”.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U1yUWZWYAMY?si=tuTbDZlfSBIJpiUF" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Vice President Sara Duterte expressed gratitude for her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and the People's Republic of China for the funding of the newly completed Bucana Bridge in Davao City.</p>

Vice President Sara Duterte expressed gratitude for her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and the People's Republic of China for the funding of the newly completed Bucana Bridge in Davao City.

‘Sila ‘yung pinagpapasalamatan ko’: Sara Duterte thanks dad Rodrigo, China for Davao City’s Bucana Bridge

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‘Sila ‘yung pinagpapasalamatan ko’: Sara Duterte thanks dad Rodrigo, China for Davao City’s Bucana Bridge

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 06, 2025 03:55 PM PHT

Read More:

Sara Duterte

Rodrigo Duterte

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Bucana Bridge

Davao City

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