ADB seeks action on infra projects

The head of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) urged swift action on priority infrastructure projects during a business forum yesterday that featured the architects and lead implementing agencies of President Duterte’s “build, build, build” initiative.

The ADB launched the two-day Philippine Transport Forum 2017 to discuss plans under Mr. Duterete’s flagship infrastructure program, which would involve a project pipeline of about P8 trillion through 2022.

Transportation projects are expected to take up the biggest slice of the infrastructure initiative.

ADB president Takehiko Nakao, alongside the heads of lead agencies such as the departments of public works and highways, of transportation, and of budget and management as well as the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, agreed that now was the time to act.

“We need to act, we need to show results instead of just talking beautifully in our language,” Nakao said, urging all stakeholders to move beyond plans.

He said the ADB was committed to the “build, build, build” initiative. It has offered to support a $4.2 billion (P24 billion) pipeline of projects across the transport, energy, education and social protection sectors from 2018 to 2020.

“Transportation is a major focus of our support,” Nakao said.

In addition, ADB is a preparing a $100-million technical assistance loan to help implementing agencies with funding for further project studies, Nakao said.

He said the ADB was providing advisory services for a variety of projects, including the North-South Railway project in Luzon and the Clark Green City project in Pampanga.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar promised during the forum that the government would implement and deliver projects it had promised.

“This is not a dream, this is an inevitability,” Villar said. “It’s something that is happening as we speak.”

The government has initially rolled out some 60 projects valued at almost P1.8 trillion under its “build, build, build” plan. Most of these are large-ticket transportation projects, with railways alone accounting for a little over P1 trillion, including a P227 billion subway line for Metro Manila.

Funding would mainly come from the government’s coffers and official development assistance (ODA) loans.

The agency heads yesterday all agreed that moving fast on the implementation, a perennial bottleneck, was crucial.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the economic cluster had mandated “24/7” construction of infrastructure projects. He added they were exploring ways to build and open complex projects, such as train systems, in several phases so these could be used by the public sooner.