PHL officials say work on China-funded Pasig River bridges to start in Q3

The construction of two bridges spanning the Pasig River will start in the next few months, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Thursday.

The projects are an offshoot China's pledge to fund Philippine infrastructure projects during the state visit of President Rodrigo Duterte in Beijing last year.

"The first two projects that you will see implemented are the two bridges across the Pasig. The implementation will begin in the next few months," Dominguez told reporters on the sidelines of the Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative conference in Manila.

"Also, we have discussed with the secretary of Budget those budgets for these projects will be multi-year so that they will be continuing," he added.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the first bridge connect Intramuros to Binondo, noting the construction may start in the third quarter

The cost is still to be finalized. "Nag-a-adjust pa 'yung price niya. But these are all funded by the government of China, walang gastos ang gobyerno natin dito," he said in a separate phone interview.

The Philippine government assured China that the projects would not be tainted with corruption, Dominguez said.

"We will strictly follow procedures set out in the law with regards to procurement, to bidding. And we will be very vigilant about possible corruption. As the President assures there will be no corruption in these projects," the Cabinet official noted.

The fact that China has made commitment "shows they firmly believe that this government will live up to what it says. We live up to the highest standards of honesty and morality with regards to their projects," he said.

"In fact, when I went to China the first time, I assured the members of their Cabinet that we will not waste the money of the Chinese taxpayers," Dominguez said.

"It's the money of the Chinese taxpayers. We owe it to them to conduct our projects with total transparency and total honesty as ordered by President Duterte," he added. — VDS, GMA News