THE BGC and the Sta. Monica lengths of the bridge crossing the Pasig River was recently linked as work continued through the pandemic crisis to ensure the commencement of its service by the first quarter of 2021.
This bridge connects Lawton on the BGC side to Ortigas cutting today’s travel of one-and-a-half hours between the two points to 12 minutes when it opens fully.
The construction company that performed the sterling task of pushing the construction project through the difficult days of the pandemic are Persan Construction, Inc. jointly with the Sino Road and Bridge Group Co., Ltd of the China State Construction which is a Fortune 500 company ranked No. 18 in 2020.
At the same time as the linkage of the BGC-Ortigas link-up completion, two other Chinese funded projects donated to the Philippines are also working non-stop through the COVID-19 crisis towards completion in late 2021, and work continued with His Excellency, Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian, even taking time to oversee the progress of the works.
The Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge linking Makati and Mandaluyong over the Pasig River and the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge providing the narrow and congested ancient Chinatown road network to a relief detour out to the less travelled Aduana to flow out to Taft as well as towards Roxas Blvd. and R1 cutting traffic and travel time.
The Chinese construction companies in partnership with Filipino construction companies duly registered in the Philippines and with the PCA (Philippine Contractors’ Association) have been doing splendidly keeping on target and ensuring the Build, Build, Build program of the government gets completed on time.
While the DPWH and the contractors work overtime on the Philippine-China projects agreed upon between the Philippine and Chinese governments, the secretary of foreign affairs of the country goes on the media circuit shooting off his personal opinions like he had no official responsibilities at all to the institution and the president he serves.
Our foreign secretary Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin alias Twitter-fingers of machine gun mouth was entrapped into a diplomatic faux pas by CNN show host Pinky Webb on the program “The Source” on the BGC-Ortigas link.
‘The Source,’ aired over CNN Philippines, with American media company WarnerMedia as partner and suspected of (and does) show all indications that it propagates American tinted (if not tainted) colored domestic and international reporting, the secretary was baited by the presumably scripted host Pinky Webb to answer the question:
With the US move to sanction 24 Chinese companies involved in the Chinese government’s reclamation on islands within its claimed territory in the South China Sea, should the Philippines do likewise, sanction those construction companies and terminate construction contracts with them if there are such engagements?
Locsin is heard and quoted by reports replying, “If I find that any of those companies are doing business with us, then I would strongly recommend that we terminate the relationship with that company…”
The first reaction and question that comes into mind, “Is Philippine foreign policy again the tail to the American dog?”
Thank goodness for our country and out people, especially our long-suffering motorists traversing EDSA that President Duterte quickly stepped in and in a matter of a day or two announced that Philippines will honor all contracts with Chinese investors and contractors.
In other words, Locsin’s blabber should not be listened to and the Philippines won’t be a tail to the American foreign policy dog.