China’s friendship bridges Catalyst to Phl recovery

As the Philippines bounces back from the effects of the global contagion, the recently unveiled two bridges that serve as a gift of China to the Filipinos are already aiding the country in its recovery efforts and development.

The donated bridges, which are valued at around 8 billion pesos in current terms, include the Binondo–Intramuros Bridge and the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge.

The modern projects have reshaped the skylines of Manila. They are not only helping ease traffic for tens of thousands of Filipinos, but quickly became Instagrammable tourist attractions and are already generating more business dynamism in the community.

The Binondo-Intramuros Friendship Bridge finally connects the 400-year-old Intramuros with the world's oldest Chinatown, and serves 30,000 motorists every day, with four lanes, bike lanes, and walkways that will promote a healthier lifestyle for generations. The bridge was completed in cooperation between the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), and was unveiled to the public by President Duterte and the Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian in April 2022.

The newly-expanded Estrella-Pantaleon Friendship Bridge (also called the "Rockwell Bridge"), unveiled in July 2021, widened the 2011 two-lane bridge to four lanes; and added a three-meter sidewalk on both sides, in contrast with the previous bridge's 0.6-meter sidewalks, enabling motorists and pedestrians from Mandaluyong City to comfortably reach the central business district of Makati within five to ten minutes.

Besides improved connectivity and the jumpstart of development, the construction of the two bridges provided livelihood to hundreds of Filipinos even during the pandemic and trained thousands of Filipino engineering students and workers.

The construction of the two connectors followed all the safety and construction standards contributing towards a greener, more sustainable, and climate change-resistant infrastructure.

President Rodrigo Duterte aired his gratitude to the Chinese government for their gift, saying that these bridges will give Filipinos the chance to experience economic growth and enhanced productivity.

"The bridge marks the 16th project completed between China and the Philippines since 2016," said Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian.

The two iconic bridges are another testament to the centuries-long bond between the Filipino and Chinese peoples.

The Philippines' independent foreign policy, embodied under the Duterte Administration, paved the way for the expansion of Philippines-China relations to include infrastructure cooperation, among others, which also helped fast-track the success of "Build, Build, Build".

Last October, Ambassador Huang said that under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Marcos Jr., the two countries will further see the deepening of economic cooperation. China has been the Philippines' largest trading partner for the last six years and a major source of foreign investments.

"The economic and trade cooperation deepened despite the pandemic. Bilateral trade reached $82 billion, and the Chinese mainland, Hongkong, Macau, and Taiwan joined to account for almost 33 percent of Philippine exports. For the last seven months of 2022, bilateral trade increased by 13 percent, higher than the average increase of China's foreign trade with ASEAN," Xilian said during the 2022 Philippine Business Conference organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Aside from these donations, China also donated 10,000 tons of rice to augment the food supply for thousands of poor communities around the Philippines, in cooperation with DSWD. During the height of the pandemic, when the US and other nations were hoarding supplies and vaccines, China donated over 5 million vaccines, on top of over 50 million rushed-delivered, in partnership with DOH; and billions more in medical supplies distributed in partnerships with the LGUs, among many other assistances. Austin Ong (BayaNihao@gmail.com)