Up to 24 projects up for Duterte OK

At least two dozen projects will be up for President Duterte’s go-ahead today as economic managers fast-track the approval of mostly infrastructure projects under its ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program.

National Economic and Development Authority Assistant Secretary Jonathan L. Uy told the Inquirer Tuesday that a joint Neda Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) and Infrastructure Committee (InfraCom) meeting would be held on top of another meeting of the Neda Board chaired by the President later in the day.

For the joint ICC-InfraCom meeting, economic managers will discuss the Public Financial Management Program 2-Infrastructure project under an Australian technical assistance grant, Uy said.

Also likely to be discussed are the Cebu bus rapid transit (BRT) project as well as the proposed acquisition of helicopters by the Philippine Coast Guard, he added.

As for the Neda Board meeting, there was an initial 24 items—projects already approved by the ICC earlier—proposed for inclusion in the agenda, although the list was still being finalized as of press time, according to Uy.

Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary Rolando G. Tungpalan had said that at least nine big-ticket infrastructure projects worth a total of about P900 billion would be up for President Duterte’s approval at the upcoming Neda Board meeting.

Last Monday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and Neda chief Ernesto M. Pernia told reporters that the Neda Board could also tackle San Miguel Corp.’s unsolicited proposal to build an “aerotropolis” in Bulacan.

Early this month, Neda said that the ICC-Cabinet Committee approved last March 28 SMC’s proposed P735.6-billion airport project with a “recommendation to the Neda Board for negotiations between the Department of Transportation and San Miguel Holdings toward conducting the prescribed Swiss challenge, after finalizing the bidding parameters with the Department of Finance.”