Philippines: Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (Phase 1) Project

OBJECTIVE

To contribute to efficiency improvements of road travel in Bataan, Cavite, and the National Capital Region.

DESCRIPTION

The Bataan Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) Program comprises about 32 kilometer (km) fixed crossing over Manila Bay, consisting of (i) 2 long-span navigation bridges with main spans of 900 and 400 meters connecting Mariveles, Bataan to Naic Cavite; (ii) 24 km of marine and land viaducts; and (iii) 5 km of approach roads. The Program also comprises a ramp connecting Corregidor Island to Bataan and Cavite. The Program will also finance capacity building activities to improve the government’s operation and maintenance (O&M) and management capacities for BCIB and future complex bridges. The Program is expected to be financed in three phases.

Phase 1 of the Program (the Project) will finance a segment of the civil works component involving the navigation bridges, marine and land viaducts, and approach roads.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

The project will be co-financed with ADB as lead co-financier, and the Project’s environmental and social (E&S) risks and impacts are being assessed in accordance with ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS). To ensure a harmonized approach to addressing the E&S risks and impacts of the Project, and as permitted under AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), ADB’s SPS will apply to the Project in lieu of AIIB’s ESP. ADB has categorized the E&S risks of the Project as Category A for Environment, A for Involuntary Resettlement and C for Indigenous Peoples (which are equivalent to Category A if AIIB’s ESP were applicable). The category is based on risks due to large scale construction activities and significant impacts on marine ecosystems and displacement of Project-affected peoples (PAPs).

BCIB’s alignment will pass through several potentially sensitive areas, namely coral reefs, Corregidor Island Marine Park, and Naic Fish Sanctuary. The involuntary resettlement impacts are likely to be significant along the alignment of the bridge. An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) study has been prepared based on local requirements of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), but the ESIA is being prepared or updated to cover E&S risks of the entire project in accordance with ADB’s SPS.

In addition, the involuntary resettlement impacts are likely to be significant, hence the Project is categorized A for involuntary resettlement in accordance with the ADB’s SPS. Corresponding mitigation measures will be developed and integrated into an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and Land Acquisition and Resettlement Plan (LARP). The ESMP will include guidance to prepare a Workers’ Accommodation Management Plan and to address Gender-Based Violence (GBV). All E&S documents such as ESIA, ESMP and LARP will be disclosed timely in English and the summaries of those documents in local understandable language on AIIB and DPWH’s websites.

A Project Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) will be established in accordance with the requirements of ADB’s SPS. Locally appropriate public consultation at the barangay level and disclosure process will be used to disseminate information about the GRM. The information of the project-level GRM and ADB’s independent accountability mechanism (IAM) will be included in the ESIA and LARP and other ES documents and disseminated to the PAPs.