Biggest infra program in Philippines set for launching

The Duterte administration will soon launch the big­gest infrastructure push in Philippine history to propel economic growth in the next five-and-a-half years.

Big-ticket infrastructure proj­ects, specifically roads and bridges, mass urban transport and alternative green city solutions are among the key investments to be made by the Philippine government. These will solve the problems brought about by traffic congestion, inadequate mass transport facilities, air pollution, and the lack of healthy, green liveable community spaces.

The development mantra is: build, build and build.

The administration sees in­creased infrastructure spending as key to move the country forward and improve the lives of the Filipino people by generating massive invest­ments, creating millions of jobs and lowering prices of commodities.

The country’s lead infrastructure agencies are working in close coor­dination to build new facilities. The National Economic and Develop­ment Authority (Neda), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Depart­ment of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) are crafting the Duterte Infrastruc­ture Plan. In three to five years, new and better roads, bridges, railways, rehabilitated airports and a new me­tropolis are envisioned to benefit the Filipino people.

According to the Philippine Insti­tute for Development Studies (PIDS) 2017 National Expenditure Program, in the first year of the Duterte pres­idency, infrastructure spending will represent 5.4 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. This will be the highest since the Marcos era spanning 21 years when infra spend­ing was at 3.2 percent of GDP.

Among the “game-changing solutions” of the DOTr that guaran­tee better transport and passenger ex­perience are the Metro Manila Clark Railway which will assure one-hour travel from Metro Manila to Clark International Airport; the Metro Ma­nila Bus Rapid Train System which will yield on-time trips along Edsa; and the Mindanao Railway which will provide the much-needed con­nection of people and goods across Mindanao.

For its part, the DPWH will build new linkages to ensure better connectivity between key destina­tions. These include the Santa Mon­ica-Lawton-BGC Viaduct which will directly link BGC going to Ortigas; the UP-Miriam-Ateneo Viaduct which will cut down travel by 80 percent in Katipunan Ave at CP Gar­cia; and the NLEx-SLEx Connector Road which will reduce travel time to 30 minutes going to Alabang from Balintawak.

BCDA also eyes big-ticket proj­ects in Central Luzon and Metro Manila. The Clark International Air­port New Terminal Building is en­visioned to be a world-class airport which will reduce traffic at the Naia. BCDA also will continue to build a new city proximate to Metro Manila, a 9,450-hectare smart, green and disaster-resilient city that will be a long-term solution to traffic conges­tion in main urban centers.

Another project is the BGC to Naia Bus Rapid Transit that will fa­cilitate a 15-minute travel time from Fort Bonifacio to NAIA, prevent­ing delays for passengers rushing to catch their flights whether for leisure or business.

The Philippines has been lagging behind its Asian neighbors in attract­ing foreign direct investments due to poor infrastructure, which has been traced to government underspending on such projects.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported: “At 21.8 per­cent of GDP [gross domestic prod­uct] in 2014, the investment rate in the Philippines is well below regional peers, as reflected in its low capital stock and infrastructure quality.”

Given the Duterte administra­tion’s development platform, a com­plete turnaround is expected in the next six years with bold solutions and swift action in responding to the pressing needs of the public through massive infra spending.

At present, feasibility studies are being done for the infra projects of the DPWH, DOTr, and BCDA. These projects will be subject to pub­lic tender following stringent Philip­pine government procurement rules. In two years, these are envisioned to break ground, with a launch eyed in three to five years. MARO-PCO