According to Sunstar, the Panguil Bay Bridge, a significant Build, Build, Build program infrastructure project, has already been completed to a 51.4 percent level. The 3.17-kilometer-long structure, which connects the towns of Tubod in Lanao del Norte with Tangub City in Misamis Occidental, is set to be the longest bridge in Mindanao.

It is expected that the two-lane, two-way bridge will make it easier to commute between the two areas more quickly. In contrast to the present two and a half hours via Panguil Bay Road, travelers will only need to be on the road for seven minutes. The voyage takes an hour and a half aboard a roll-on, roll-off vessel.

The bridge will also shorten travel time between Tangub City and the northern Zamboanga Region from Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.

(Photo by: Sunstar/Cebu)

In 2020, the pandemic caused some delays in delivering tools and supplies for the Panguil Bay Bridge project. The groundbreaking ceremony occurred in November 2018, and is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2023.

The total project cost is P7.37 billion, which was paid for by a loan from the Korean Export-Import Bank.

Mindanao Bridge Construction

In Mindanao, more bridge construction initiatives are being carried out. On June 3 last year, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) staged a groundbreaking ceremony for two significant bridge projects: the Malassa-Lupa Pula Bridge over Manalik Channel to mainland Tawi-Tawi Island and the Nalil-Sikkiat Bridge over Bongao Channel.

Bridge construction is also proceeding apace on the Zamboanga Peninsula. The Alicia-Malangas Road, which contains eight bridges, was 83 percent finished, according to a previous report in the Manila Bulletin. Ninety-five percent of the 15.35-kilometer Tampilisan-Sandayong Road, which has three bridges, has been completed.

One of the DPWH's top goals is building a bridge to connect Barangays Guicam in Alicia and Hula-Hula in Mabuhay in Zamboanga Sibugay. This Guicam Bridge will connect to the Olutanga Island-bound Lutiman-Guicam-Olutanga Road Project. According to reports, the second quarter of the year will see the completion of these Zamboanga projects.

The Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project with the Asian Development Bank includes all the infrastructure initiatives mentioned. About 280 kilometers of primary, secondary, and tertiary national roads in the southern region will be improved as part of the program.

Paving earth roads, replacing broken road segments, enlarging already-existing roads, applying surface overlays, and replacing and strengthening bridges are all included in the works.

Real Estate Market Recovery

The ongoing infrastructural improvements in Mindanao provide hope for the region's post-pandemic real estate prospects. This year it's projected to be especially promising for the region's metropolitan hubs.

According to a Sunstar report, Colliers, a real estate consulting company, predicted that Davao's residential real estate market would continue to improve in 2022. The King City of the South will continue to be regarded as a reliable center for business in the area.

Colliers noted a strong take-up in the local market despite the difficulties the city faced in 2020 and 2021. At the end of 2021, 57 percent of the units in real estate firms that debuted in 2020 and 2021 had been sold. The consulting company also reported that residential sales increased by 40% between 2020 and 2021.

In the Davao area, houses and land were the most frequently enquired-about property kinds. In the year's first quarter, the former received the majority of leads. Additionally, it was the region's most sought-after property type.

The economic and low-cost categories had the greatest concentration of demand for local real estate. Davao City is the most-searched-for city in the area regarding the most popular locations.

As infrastructural projects in Mindanao are finished, the demand for real estate in Davao is expected to increase over the next few years.