34 of 75 flagship infra projects to start in ’18

The government will break ground for 34 or almost half of the 75 “flagship” infrastructure projects under the Duterte administration’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program, state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority said yesterday.

In a forum, Neda Undersecretary Rolando G. Tungpalan said one project already broke ground before 2017, while 15 were rolled out last year.

Next year, 10 flagship projects will be launched, on top of four planned for rollout in 2020.

The groundbreaking schedules for 11 projects were yet to be determined.

As of Jan. 15, 66 of the 75 flagship projects were estimated to cost a total of P2.289 trillion, Tungpalan said.

Among the big-ticket projects to be rolled out this year are 12 bridges that will cross the Pasig River, Marikina River and the Manggahan Floodway.

The bridges to be constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways this year until 2022 will “improve road transport network capacity and efficiency in Metro Manila” and alleviate traffic congestion, he said.

The DPWH will also roll out the P4.86-billion Panguil Bay Bridge project that will connect Tangub City in Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao del Norte, for completion in 2021.

The Department of Transportation, meanwhile, will implement the P35.26-billion, 102-kilometer Mindanao Rail Project (Phase 1) that will connect Tagum, Davao City and Digos in Region 11. It is eyed for completion by 2022.

The DOTr will also start this year work on the P211.43-billion Philippine National Railway North 2 Project, the 69.5-kilometer extension of the PNR North 1 from Malolos, Bulacan, to Clark International Airport and the sprawling Clark Green City, eyed for completion in 2024.

Also for rollout in 2018 is the DOTr’s P175.3-billion PNR South Long-Haul Project, a 639-km rail consisting of these lines: 406-kilometer Los Baños to Legazpi; 117-km Legazpi to Matnog; 58-km Calamba to Batangas; and 58-km Manila to Los Baños.

Tungpalan said the PNR South Long-Haul railway would be financed by China.

Next year, the DOTr will begin implementation of the P355.59-billion Metro Manila Subway Project (Phase 1), a 25.3-km underground rail that will connect Quezon City and Taguig City, and extend to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The subway, to be financed by Japan, would be completed by 2027, Tungpalan said.

Under “Build, Build, Build,” the government plans to roll out 75 flagship “game-changing” projects. The government intends to spend up to P9 trillion on hard and modern infrastructure until 2022 to usher in “the golden age of infrastructure” after years of neglect.