June 27, 2018

The Philippine government’s infrastructure push is moving apace as planned with 35 infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) having been approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, NEDA said on Wednesday.

Of these 35 projects, 16 are estimated to be completed by 2022, while the remaining 19 will extend beyond 2022. The latest tally of NEDA Board-approved IFPs is almost double from last year’s list of 18 NEDA Board-approved projects included in the 75 IFPs.

“Beyond NEDA Board approval, the projects will have to go through the remaining phases of the project cycle. We must keep the infrastructure momentum and make sure there are no delays,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said.

During the agency’s regular press briefing #AskNEDA on Wednesday, Pernia and other NEDA officials presented updates on the government’s 75 high-impact projects identified by the NEDA Board Committee on Infrastructure or INFRACOM and the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) as infrastructure flagship projects of the Duterte administration.

The list of 75 IFPs with total investment requirement of Php1.879 trillion was adopted by the NEDA Board, chaired by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in Malacañang on June 27, 2017.

The 35 NEDA Board-approved projects have undergone the full review by the ICC, an interagency Cabinet-level body. Thirty-two of the said 35 projects are now in various stages of implementation – budgeting and financing, detailed engineering design and procurement, before actual construction – the stage that is visible to the general public.

“Since the start of this administration, the NEDA Board has approved projects at a quicker pace while ascertaining their technical, financial, economic and social merits. We are determined to close the infrastructure gap, a crucial endeavor for us to achieve our long-term vision of a matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay for all, which everyone deserves,” Pernia said.

Meanwhile, NEDA also officially launched its weekly radio program titled “Tunog ng Progreso” in partnership with the Philippine Broadcasting Service’s Bureau of Broadcast Services. Starting July 20, the radio program will air over RP Uno 73.8 every Friday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Pernia said the radio program intends to help Filipinos better understand economic concepts by explaining their practical application in everyday life.

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