Eight infrastructure projects in transportation, agriculture, and rural development seen to support Philippine socioeconomic development goals have received the nod of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board.
In its second meeting under the new administration, the NEDA Board, which is chaired by President Rodrigo Duterte, confirmed on November 14 the green-lighting of the eight projects.
“In our move towards reinvigorating the agricultural and rural enterprise productivity, the approved projects on agriculture, irrigation, and transportation will definitely help us achieve our development goals. Moreover, this approval will continue our efforts in increasing infrastructure spending towards 5% percent of the Gross Domestic Product,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia.
New Cebu International Container Port
The NEDA Board approved the New Cebu International Container Port, which involves a new seaport in Consolacion, Cebu to free up congested Cebu International Port (CIP) in Cebu City, which in turn is proposed to be used for general and break-bulk cargo.
READ: NEDA ICC oks P9.3B Cebu International Port proposal
The new port is set to be constructed offshore on a reclaimed 25-hectare island in Barangay Tayud in Consolacion. Once completed, it is seen to reduce vessel waiting time and increase container yard capacity.
With a total estimated cost of P9.2 billion, the project is to be implemented from the third quarter of 2017 to the second quarter of 2020. The government will explore South Korean development assistance for the project.
Also approved is the South Line of the North-South Railway Project (NSRP). The NSRP is composed of two public-private partnership (PPP) projects: a commuter line of about 54 kilometers operating between Tutuban and Calamba using a build-gradual transfer operate-and-maintain contractual arrangement, and a long-haul line of about 580 km operating between Calamba and Sorsogon, including a branch from Calamba to Batangas City using the build-transfer contractual arrangement.
The Board likewise approved a number of Department of Transportation (DOTr) proposals on the condition their cost estimates are revised based on ongoing technical studies. These include a shift from just rehabilitating the old Philippine National Railway (PNR) tracks and structures to fully reconstructing the South Commuter Line from Manila to Calamba.
Others are the shift from narrow- to standard-gauge tracks; increase in right-of-way (ROW) acquisition and resettlement costs to accommodate more households affected by the project and ROW adjustment to identify optimal alignment and accommodate freight service in the future; phased implementation of South long-haul components; and requirement for a single PPP operator to ensure seamless and integrated train operations for the entire commuter line.
The NSRP-South Line has a total estimated cost of P170.699 billion.
Also approved is the proposal of the DOTr to unbundle five of its airport projects that were approved by the NEDA Board in 2014 under the PPP scheme in a bid to expedite the early completion of the PPP selection and awarding. The five projects, which all involve operation and maintenance (O&M) works, have a combined cost of P108.180 billion.
These airport projects are the Iloilo Airport Development O&M Project, Bacolod Airport Development O&M Project, Laguindingan Airport Development O&M Project, Davao Airport Development O&M Project, and New Bohol (Panglao) Airport Development O&M Project.
Meantime, the Department of Agriculture saw two of its projects approved: the scaling up of the Second Cordillera Highlands Agricultural Resources Management Project (CHARMP 2) and the expansion of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).
CHARMP is expected to improve the gross value added (GVA) in the Cordillera region’s agricultural sector by capitalizing on the region’s comparative advantage as producer of semi-temperate vegetables, cut flowers, sub-tropical fruits and high-value crops like coffee.
The project, with a total estimated cost of P601.09 million, will be implemented by DA up to December 2018 with development support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
PRDP, on the other hand, will expand the existing PRDP with World Bank participation so as to increase its agricultural infrastructure support program. The project supports enhancing farm and fishery productivity in 16 regions and 80 provinces across the country through projects that include farm-to-market roads, farm-to-market roads with bridges, rural road bridges, communal irrigation systems, level-2 potable water supply systems, and other agricultural support infrastructures.
CHARMP and PRDP have estimated costs of P601.09 million and P20.925 billion, respectively.
Under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), approved projects are the improvement and widening of General Luis Road (Quezon City to Valenzuela City) Project and the Plaridel Bypass Road Project.
The road widening is expected to resolve the traffic situation on General Luis Road, and will run from Quirino Highway in Quezon City to Gen. MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City. Estimated project cost using DPWH’s budget is P2.956 billion, assuming a 24/7 work schedule (P2.814 billion if a regular work schedule is adopted). With a 24/7 work schedule, the project is expected to be implemented from January 2018 to January 2019.
The P10.496-billion bypass road project, on the other hand, will upgrade the 23.3- kilometer Plaridel Bypass road by expanding its carriageway from two lanes to four lanes and will include the construction of accompanying road infrastructures along the road network, such as bridges, interchanges, overpasses, and an intersection. Road works will start from NLEX Burol Interchange Toll Plaza and extend to the Pan-Philippine Highway in San Rafael, Bulacan.
Other approved projects are the P5.444-billion Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project, Stage 2 of the National Irrigation Administration, and the P1.473-billion New Nayong Pilipino at Entertainment City of the Department of Tourism.
Lastly, the NEDA Board green-lighted the proposed Investment Coordination Committee’s (ICC) Guidelines on Processing China-Assisted Projects, which detail the rules and procedures for processing project proposals that require ICC review and approval and that need Chinese support for pre-investment and investment activities. The proposal seeks to establish a single clearinghouse, which is the ICC, for the expected influx of projects or investment proposals to be supported by China.
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