Gov't vows to finish P4-trillion worth of infra projects by 2028 

The government intends to complete 73 big-ticket infrastructure projects, costing P4.05 trillion, which were not finished during the previous administration, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said in a report by BusinessMirror.

In a presentation at the organizational meeting of the House Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects, Neda Assistant Secretary for Investment Programming Roderick M. Planta said the 73 projects were culled from the 112 Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs) of the previous administration.

In total, the 112 IFPs amount to P5.04 trillion. This also includes eight projects worth P55.43 billion that were completed, and four projects amounting to P69.07 billion which were inaugurated and partially operational.

“This Build, Build, Build program is intended to address the development challenges in infrastructure development as articulated in the Philippine Development Plan. Going to the Infrastructure Flagship Projects, this is technically a subset of the Build, Build, Build program,” Planta explained.

“This IFP was conceptualized in 2017 with the aim of prioritizing game changing and urgently needed projects of national security class significance,” he added.

The 73 projects include 47 that are ongoing construction and implementation, worth P2.33 trillion; and 26 projects undergoing pre-construction activities, worth P1.71 trillion.

Apart from the ongoing projects, Planta said the IFPs also include 27 projects in the pipeline amounting to P869.69 billion.

This comprises six projects worth P79.57 billion that are up for government approval and 21 projects amounting to P790.12 billion that are under preparation.

Based on the Neda’s estimates, 10 projects worth P73.19 billion will be completed this year and 90 projects worth P4.84 trillion will be completed in 2023 and beyond.

Data presented at the hearing by Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain showed that of the 90 projects for completion in 2023 and beyond, 37 are already ongoing construction.

Of the 37 IFPs ongoing construction, 17 are under the DPWH including the Boracay Circumferential Road; NLEX-SLEX Connector Road; Flood Risk Improvement and Management Project-Cagayan de Oro River; and Arterial Road Bypass Project Phase III, among others.

The 10 other projects are being implemented by the Philippine Statistics Authority; Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT); Department of Health; Department of Transportation (DOTr); and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), among others.

The list also includes 11 IFPs that are undergoing detailed engineering design (DED); seven that are ongoing processing and financing; eight ongoing procurement; another eight ongoing government approval; and 19 undergoing project preparation.

Some of the projects undergoing DED are the Metro Manila Bridges Project; Cebu-Mactan Bridge and Coastal Road; New Manila International Airport; and the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines, among others.

Undergoing financing processing are the Davao City Expressway; Ambal-Simuay River and Rio Grande de Mindanao River Flood Control Projects; and the LRT 2 West Extension, among others.

Those undergoing procurement include the Panay-Guimaras Negros Bridge Phase 1; Cebu Bus Rapit Transit; New Cebu International Container Port; and EDSA Greenways.

Projects up for evaluation of the Neda Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) include the Quezon-Bicol Expressway; Metro Cebu Expressway Project; General Santos Port; and the UP-PGH Cancer Center Project, among others.

The 19 projects undergoing project preparation include the TPLEX Extension Project; New Bohol International Airport; MRT 11; C5 MRT 10 Project; Cebu Monorail System; Ninoy Aquino International Airport; Davao Sasa Port; and NLEX Harbor Link Extension to Anda Circle, among others.

The ICC is the highest decision-making body that approves major capital projects of the government.

It evaluates programs/projects costing P2.5 billion and up, as well as agencies and GOCCs projects covered by the Build Operate Transfer Law that is worth P300 million.

The committee also evaluates projects of LGUs covered by the Philippine BOT Law, costing P200 million and above, and Joint Venture proposals with government counterpart of P150 million and above.