Gov’t readies list of 55 ‘game-changing’ projects

NEDA Director Ernesto Pernia. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

State planning agency National Economic and Development Authority will pitch for President Duterte’s approval a list of 55 flagship, “game-changing” projects that the administration aims to roll out and complete before 2022.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and Neda director general Ernesto M. Pernia told reporters after the meeting of Neda’s Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) Cabinet Committee late Tuesday that the Duterte administration “will change the landscape with game-changing infrastructure.”

Neda director Jonathan L. Uy said that 31 of the 55 projects would already cost P1.2 trillion while the other bigger projects were still under feasibility study.

Uy noted that the project cost for state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority to develop the sprawling Clark Green City was yet to be firmed up but was expected to reach P1.1 trillion.

By “flagship” projects, Pernia said Neda was looking at those that would encourage additional other projects in the localities. “These will be catalytic projects,” he said.

Neda Undersecretary Rolando G. Tungpalan said these proposed flagship projects would also focus on spurring development outside of Metro Manila. “The projects will encourage moving out of Manila-centric development,” Tungpalan said.

While declining to name specific projects pending the President’s approval, Uy said they were eyeing “big” projects, including bridges that would connect islands across the archipelago, airports and ports, among others.

Pernia said that another project possibly on the list was the railway system that would connect Manila to Clark.

The comprehensive list will cover projects to be funded not only by development partners such as the Chinese and Japanese governments as well as multilateral lenders including the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the World Bank but also by the annual national budget, Uy said.

These projects will be submitted for confirmation and approval by the Neda Board chaired by President Duterte in a meeting to be scheduled in April, Pernia said.

Pernia noted that the Duterte administration had programmed to spend up to P9 trillion on public infrastructure from 2017 to 2022 to bring the infrastructure spending-to-gross domestic product ratio to about 7.4 percent by 2022.

As such, the government must spend at least P1 trillion a year to address the infrastructure gap, Pernia said.