67% of infrastructure flagship projects are connectivity, transport works

• 130 of 194 infrastructure flagship projects (IFP) identified as priority by the National Economic and Development Authority Board are interconnectivity and transportation works

• Most are either already ongoing or under project preparation

• Four are port projects, three are fish ports, 13 are airports, a roll-on/roll-off network upgrade, and a port cold chain network

• The transportation-related projects include 45 that are already ongoing or have been approved for implementation

• 10 are under construction, one is awaiting government approval, 30 with ongoing project preparation, and 38 for pre-project preparation

The majority or 67% of the 194 infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) approved by the National Economic and Development Authority Board are interconnectivity and transportation-related projects.

Most of the 130 are either already under construction or under project preparation.

Of the total 194 flagship projects, 67 are infrastructure works from previous administrations that are already ongoing or approved for implementation while 26 additional IFPs are being implemented. Also:

• two are previous projects for government approval
• two undergoing project preparation
• two with approval/approved implementation
• six additional are for government approval
• 45 are undergoing project preparation
• 44 are at pre-project preparation stage

The 194 flagship projects worth a total of about P9 trillion were approved by the NEDA Board, chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on March 8. These projects will be prioritized in the government’s annual budget preparation and the issuance of applicable permits and licenses will be expedited consistent with current legal frameworks.

Of the total, four are port projects, three are fish ports, 13 are airport, one is a roll-on/roll-off network upgrade, and another is a port cold chain network.

Of the 67 ongoing/approved for implementation, 45 are transportation-related projects for implementation by the Departments of Transportation (DOTr) and Public Works and Highways (DPWH). They are mostly funded through official development assistance (ODA) loans or general appropriations. These are:

1. Cebu Bus Rapid Transit Project
2. Davao Public Transport Modernization Project
3. EDSA Greenways
4. LRT 2 West Extension
5. Manila Metro Line 1 Cavite Extension (Baclaran-Niog, Bacoor)
6. Metro Manila Subway Project Phase 1
7. Mindanao Rail Project Phase 1
8. MRT-3 Rehabilitation Project
9. MRT-4
10. MRT-7
11. New Cebu International Container Port Project
12. New Manila International Airport
13. North-South Commuter Railway
14. PNR South Long-Haul
15. Subic Clark Railway
16. Taguig City Integrated Terminal Exchange
17. Arterial Road Bypass Project Phase III (Plaridel Bypass)
18. Bacolod-Negros Occidental Economic Highway
19. Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge
20. Boracay Circumferential Road
21. Cagayan de Oro Coastal Road
22. Camarines Sur Expressway
23. Cebu-Mactan Bridge (4th Bridge) and Coastal Road Construction Project
24. Davao City Bypass Construction Project
25. Davao City Coastal Road Project, including Bucana Bridge
26. Davao City Expressway
27. Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project
28. Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Development, Phase I
29. Metro Manila Bridges Project
30. Metro Manila Priority Bridges for Seismic Improvement Project
31. NLEX-SLEX Connector Road
32. Panay-Guimaras-Negros Inter-Island Link Bridge
33. Panglao-Tagbilaran City Offshore Bridge Connector
34. Panguil Bay Bridge
35. Pasacao-Balatan Tourism Coastal Highway
36. Priority Bridges Crossing Pasig-Marikina River & Manggahan Floodway Bridges
37. Road Network Development Project in Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao
38. Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge
39. Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project
40. Sindangan-Bayog-Lakewood Road, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte
41. Surallah-T’Boli-San Jose Road, South Cotabato
42. C5 South Link Expressway Project
43. SLEX Toll Road 4
44. Southeast Metro Manila Expressway Project
45. Davao-Sasa Port

The Davao-Sasa Port project will be bid out under the Philippine Ports Authority’s (PPA) port terminal management regulatory framework (PTMRF). The bidding will involve the port terminal management contract to manage and operate the port under a concession with PPA for 20 years.

PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago said the agency will be bidding out the contract this year.

Of the 26 additional IFPs already being implemented, 10 are transport-related, two of which are road projects for agriculture, including the construction of farm-to-mill roads and farm-to-market roads. They include:

1. Maritime Safety Enhancement Project
2. Cavite-Laguna Expressway
3. Central Luzon Link Expressway, Phase I
4. North Luzon Expressway Segment 8.2
5. South Luzon Expressway Toll Road 5 Segment 1
6. Construction/Rehabilitation/Improvement of Fish Ports and Other Fishery Post-Harvest Facilities
7. Expansion/Upgrading/Improvement of General Santos Fish Port, South Cotabato
8. Regional Fish Port Project for Greater Capital Region

One of the two previous IFPs for government approval is the Iconic Bridge Projects for Socio-Economic Development, Phase I, which will be funded through ODA and assisted by the UK.

The two IFPs undergoing project preparation are the Metro Cebu Expressway (Cebu Circumferential Road) and the upgrading and improvement of the Iloilo port. The Metro Cebu Expressway will be implemented by the DPWH and will be under the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme.

The Iloilo port project will be implemented under PPA’s PTMRF similar to Davao-Sasa Port.

One of the two IFPs with approval/approved for implementation is the New Dumaguete Airport Development Project (Bacong International Airport), which will be financed via ODA.

Three of the six additional IFPs for government approval, meanwhile, are the North Luzon East Expressway (La Mesa Parkways Project), Parañaque Spillway/Tunnel Project, and Samar Pacific Coastal Road (SPCR) II Project. The North Luzon East Expressway will be under PPP while the other two will be funded through ODA.

Of the 45 IFPs with ongoing project preparation, 30 are transport-related projects, including infrastructure development and transport-related systems, to be funded by a mix of general appropriations, PPP, and ODA. These are the following:

1. Antique Airport Development Project
2. Bukidnon Airport Development Project
3. Busuanga Airport Development Project
4. Central Luzon Bus Rapid Transit
5. EDSA Busway (Improved)
6. Laoag International Airport Development Project
7. Light Rail Transit 2 COGEO Extension Project
8. MaPaLLa Ferry System (Pasig River Ferry System Project)
9. Metro Manila Subway Project – Operations & Maintenance (O&M)
10. Mindanao Railway Project Phase 3 (Northern Mindanao)
11. Naga Airport Development Project
12. New Zamboanga Airport
13. Ninoy Aquino International Airport PPP Project
14. North Long-Haul Railway
15. North-South Commuter Railway System New Clark City Extension
16. North-South Commuter Railway System – O&M
17. Philippine Automated Fare Collection System
18. Road Transport Information Technology Infrastructure Project Phase II
19. San Mateo Railway
20. Tacloban Airport Development Project
21. Central Luzon Link Expressway Phase II
22. Dalton Pass East Alignment Road Project
23. Davao City Flood Control and Drainage Project
24. EDSA Transport Road Network Rehabilitation Project
25. Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan Expressway
26. Naawan-Opol-Cagayan de Oro City – Villanueva Expressway
27. Rehabilitation/Reconstruction/Improvement, Operation, and Maintenance of Kennon Road Project
28. Urgent Bridges Construction Project for Rural Development, Phase II
29. Ship Repair Facility Compound Redevelopment (Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority)
30. San Ramon New Port Project

Lastly, of the 44 IFPs for pre-project preparation, 38 are transport related and will also be mostly funded through PPP or ODA.

1. Active Transport Network
2. Air Traffic Services – Air Navigation Services Project
3. Angeles Public Transport Modernization Project
4. Bataan Bus Rapid Transit
5. Bike Share Program
6. Cebu Bus Rapid Transit Operations & Maintenance
7. Cagayan De Oro Bus Rapid Transit
8. Cebu Public Transport Modernization Project
9. Cebu Urban Mass Rapid Transit Central Line
10. EDSA Greenways Phase 2
11. Farm-to-Market Ports Network Project
12. Iloilo-Santa Barbara Bus Rapid Transit
13. LRT Line 2 O&M
14. Manila Bay Bus Rapid Transit
15. Metro Davao Public Transport Modernization Project
16. Metro Manila Bike Expressway Project
17. Metro Manila High Quality Bus Corridors
18. Metro Manila Subway Project – Phase 2
19. MRT Line 3 O&M
20. MRT Line 4 O&M
21. MRT Line 5
22. National Transportation Database
23. New Masbate Airport Development Project
24. New Modern Public Utility Vehicle Service Contracting Program
25. New Siargao (Sayak) Airport
26. North NCR Intermodal Transit Interchange
27. Panay Railway System
28. Panglao-Tagbilaran Bus Rapid Transit
29. Port Cold Chain Network Project
30. Roll-on/Roll-off Network Upgrade Project
31. Southern Palawan (Brooke’s Point) Airport Development Project
32. Zamboanga Public Transport Modernization Project
33. 2nd San Juanico Bridge Project
34. Central Mindanao High Standard Highway Construction Project
35. Daang Maharlika (N1) Improvement
36. Nautical Highway Network Improvement
37. North Luzon East Expressway
38. Samar and Agusan Daang Maharlika Road Improvement Project

The North Luzon East Expressway, notably, is in both for government approval and for pre-project preparation.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the infrastructure flagship projects are seen to address the binding constraints to business investment and expansion to “create more, high-quality, and resilient jobs that will allow us to meet our poverty-reduction goals for the medium term.”

To hasten the rollout of the projects, Balisacan said the administration is strongly promoting the utilization of PPPs. Forty-five of the flagship projects are seen to be financed through partnerships with the private sector.

To ensure the quality and timeliness of project execution, the NEDA Board designated NEDA as the lead agency that will monitor the implementation of the projects. – Roumina Pablo