Bohol-Cebu bridge gets Neda approval

TAGBILARAN CITY—The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) board has approved the bridge project that will soon connect the island provinces of Bohol and Cebu.

Called the Bohol-Cebu Friendship Bridge (BCFB), the project had been endorsed to the Chinese government for funding when President Duterte visited China in October this year, Bohol Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado said.

After the Neda board approval, the project had been lined up for feasibility study and pre-engineering work, which could start as early as next year once the proposal is approved, Aumentado said.

The study would determine whether the government would implement the project through build-operate-transfer, through public-private partnership or through concession loans.

The BCFB was initially dubbed as a “3-in-1” project because it could be used to bring water from Inabanga River in Bohol to Mactan Island in Cebu, through a pipeline attached to the bridge, and at the same time, bring in cheaper power from Cebu to Bohol.

The bridge will link Getafe town in Bohol and Cordova town on Mactan Island in Cebu. These towns are 17.5 km away from each other. —LEO UDTOHAN