Secretary Vince Dizon serves as keynote speaker at the Infrastructure Forum organized by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines on Monday
Photograph by Maria Romero for the Daily Tribune.
The government is targeting the award of a critical construction package for the $3.91-billion Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) by November, bringing the massive infrastructure project closer to full-scale construction to slash travel time and improve trade connectivity between northern and southern Luzon.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed on Monday that the contract for Package 6, covering the bridge’s central section, is pending concurrence from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
“On the Bataan-Cavite link, we will award Package 6, which is the most critical part of Bataan-Cavite, within November,” Dizon told reporters at the sidelines of an Infrastructure Forum organized by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines on Monday.
“It’s already pending with the ADB for concurrence, but we’re going to award. I won’t tell you who, but you’ll know in November,” he added.
Dizon said the government is only waiting for the ADB’s clearance before proceeding with the contract award.
The planned award would help advance construction of the 32.15-kilometer bridge, which will directly connect Mariveles, Bataan, and Naic, Cavite, across Manila Bay.
Once completed, the bridge is expected to slash travel time between the two provinces to approximately 45 minutes from the current five and a half hours, significantly improving the movement of goods and passengers.
The project is also designed to provide an alternative transport corridor between northern and southern Luzon, allowing motorists and freight operators to bypass Metro Manila’s heavily congested roads.
The ADB approved a $2.11-billion loan for the project in 2023, while the Philippine government committed $664.23 million in counterpart funding.
Construction is divided into six packages covering land approaches, marine viaducts, and cable-stayed bridge sections.
The government has already awarded contracts for the two land approaches that will connect the bridge to the existing road networks in Bataan and Cavite.
Package 1, covering the Bataan land approach, was awarded to China Wu Yi Co. Ltd. and Fujian Road & Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd.
Package 2, involving the 1.3-kilometer Cavite land approach, was awarded in November 2025 to a consortium of China Wu Yi, Jinan Urban Construction Group Co. Ltd. and CM Pancho Construction Inc.
The bridge will feature two cable-stayed spans measuring 900 meters and 400 meters, approximately 24 kilometers of marine and land viaducts, and five kilometers of approach roads.
Once operational, the BCIB is expected to become the country’s longest water-spanning bridge, providing a new transport link across Manila Bay and supporting economic activity in the surrounding provinces.
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