Gov’t eyes 9 flagship infra projects done by end 2026

MANILA, Philippines – The Marcos administration targets to complete nine infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) worth a combined P215.95 billion by the end of 2026 as it seeks to regain momentum in its investment agenda, data from the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) showed.

As of the first quarter, data showed that the largest project scheduled for completion this year is the Department of Energy’s P51.72-billion Malampaya Phase 4 Project and Drilling of Bagong Pag-asa.

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Also slated for completion is the Department of Health’s P40.77-billion Health System Enhancement to Address and Limit COVID-19 (HEAL) Project.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) accounts for the most projects targeted for completion this year, with four major undertakings. These projects include the P35.74-billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway, the P24.9-billion Metro Manila Flood Management Project, the P23.2-billion NLEX-SLEX Connector Road, and the P3.35-billion Cagayan de Oro Coastal Road.

Other projects due for completion include the Department of Agriculture’s P19.18-billion Philippine Rural Development Project and the P14.07-billion Regional Fish Port Project.

The Local Water Utilities Administration is likewise set to complete the P3.03-billion Water District Development Sector Project.

The scheduled completion of nine projects this year marks a significant improvement from recent years, when progress on flagship infrastructure projects had been sluggish.

Stalled implementation

Nearly four years into the Marcos administration, only eight infrastructure flagship projects worth P82.24 billion have been completed as of June 9. This represents just 3.98 percent of the 201 projects in the government’s flagship infrastructure pipeline valued at P10.3 trillion.

Last year, only one IFP was completed as the government grappled with the fallout from the corruption controversy involving flood control projects. As it is, government infrastructure spending has also yet to fully recover, plunging 43.5 percent year-on-year to P147.8 billion in the first quarter.

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The DPWH dragged on infrastructure spending due to lower disbursements, attributed to the completion of carry-over projects and the adoption of stricter validation and review processes.

The same agency has the largest number of projects, overseeing 76 IFPs worth about P2.8 trillion. These projects are funded through a mix of official development assistance, the national budget, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and other financing sources.

This is followed by the Department of Transportation, which has 60 flagship projects worth roughly P6.5 trillion.

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As of end-March, the government had 83 ongoing IFPs worth P4.565 trillion.

Another 28 projects valued at P1.231 trillion had already been approved for implementation, while three projects worth P47.28 billion were awaiting government approval. Meanwhile, 50 projects worth P3.3 trillion were still under project preparation, while 27 projects valued at P1.02 trillion remained in the pre-project stage.

Looking ahead, the government is targeting the completion of 12 flagship projects in 2027 and 22 more in 2028. A further 68 projects are scheduled for completion beyond the current administration’s term.