Officials from Japan and the Philippines marked on Monday the successful connection of one of the twin tunnels of the Davao City Bypass project — the longest mountain tunnel in the country at 2.3 kilometers.
Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya and Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Nakano Hiromasa joined Philippine Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan and Mindanao Development Authority chairperson Leo Tereso Magno to commemorate the event, which highlights Japan’s enduring support for Philippine infrastructure development.
Funded through Japan’s official development assistance (ODA), the Davao City Bypass exemplifies over five decades of bilateral cooperation, beginning with the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway. Once completed, the bypass is expected to ease travel, spur economic growth, and enhance regional connectivity in Mindanao.
Japan remains the Philippines’ top ODA partner, contributing to key sectors such as transport, disaster resilience, environmental protection, and peacebuilding in Mindanao.
