Neda’s ICC aims to secure Duterte’s approval of 3 big infra projects for 2018

The Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) would prioritize this year the pitching of three big-ticket infrastructure projects, which include two rail projects and an airport, for President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval.

Neda Undersecretary Rolando G. Tungpalan told reporters last week that among the projects to be fast tracked by the ICC include two public-private partnership (PPP) projects, namely: San Miguel Corp.’s proposed New Manila International Airport; and the East-West Rail proposal submitted by the consortium of East West Rail Transit Corp. and AlloyMTD.

On its website, the PPP Center said the New Manila International Airport to be implemented by the Department of Transportation was an unsolicited proposal for the construction as well as operation and maintenance of a new, modern airport in Bulacan province with a design capacity of 200 million passengers per year, consisting of four runways and aviation-related facilities.

The East-West Rail project to be implemented by the state-run Philippine National Railways, meanwhile, will involve the financing, design, construction as well as operation and maintenance of a mostly elevated 9.4-kilometer railway spanning 11 stations from Diliman, Quezon City to Lerma, Manila, the PPP Center said.

Also a priority for ICC approval is the Clark-Subic Rail, Tungpalan said.

To be implemented by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, the P57.6-billion Clark-Subic Rail is among the 75 “flagship” infrastructure projects to be rolled out by the Duterte administration under its ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program.

The railway project that will connect two fast-rising economic zones in Central Luzon will be financed by official development assistance, for completion in 2021, according to the Neda website.

Under “Build, Build, Build,” the government will begin the construction of “game-changing” infrastructure projects, with about half targeted to be finished within President Duterte’s term, alongside plans to spend a total of up to P9 trillion on hard and modern infrastructure until 2022.

Tungpalan said these three projects, alongside those already green-lighted by the ICC in 2017, will be up for approval of the Neda Board chaired by President Duterte.      /kga