Davao: The provincial government of Davao del Norte announced Friday that it will create a special inspection team to investigate major national projects implemented in the province, including the PHP400 million Tuganay Bridge project in Carmen town. Earlier, Governor Edwin Jubahib announced that he called for a probe to determine the status of the project, which started in 2021, was suspended in 2022, and resumed in 2023. The northbound lane of the bridge remains unfinished, though the southbound lane was opened to motorists in December 2023.

According to Philippines News Agency, Governor Jubahib stated that he included 15 mega-provincial projects, along with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and National Irrigation Administration projects, in the inspection to ensure impartiality. Jubahib emphasized that the main goal of the inspection team is to press charges against contractors and agencies responsible for questionable projects.

The announcement came after Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon ordered the DPWH-11 (Davao Region) to provide him with complete details of the Tuganay Bridge project. Dizon expressed that it was his first time hearing about the issue and requested the complete details to further assess the situation.