The Marcos administration is ramping up the rollout of major infrastructure projects as well as initiatives that would improve telecommunication and transportation connectivity, address power costs and ensure food security.
Cabinet secretaries yesterday bared their plans to achieve these goals that were highlighted at the second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last Monday.
At the Post-SONA forum yesterday, Secretary Manuel Bonoan of the Department of Public Works and Highways said the agency continues to fast-track completion of major projects in the pipeline to address traffic congestion: the 32- kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge; 32.5 km Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges Project, the 4-km Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge and the Panguil bay bridge.
Under the Build Better More Program, the DPWH aims to increase the country’s High Standard Highways / Expressways from 523 km to 1,963 kms. One of the priority projects in Mindanao is the ongoing Davao City Bypass Construction project and the 8.02 km.
segment A: Bago Aplaya-Times Beach (Talomo-Matina) section of Davao City Coastal Road which was inaugurated last July 1.
The Luzon Spine Expressway Network program, which involves the construction of 1,073 km of Expressways/High Standard Highways in Luzon, aims to reduce travel time from Ilocos to Bicol from 20 hours to just 9 hours.
In compliance with the President’s directive to go full speed ahead at building the much needed transport infrastructure of the country, Secretary Jaime Bautista of the Department of Transportation said the agency is accelerating rail, maritime, road, and aviation projects that will provide socio-economic benefits to Filipinos.
“The Department will speed up the momentum in completing more transport infrastructures and projects aimed at moving more people, products, and services and trigger economic growth,” Bautista said.
He said apart from the massive North-South Commuter Railway System and the over 1,000 kms of railway projects that the government has initiated, in the pipeline are other big-ticket rail infrastructure such as the Light Rail Transit (LRT)-1 Cavite Extension, Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-4, MRT-7, and the Metro Manila Subway, the country’s first underground railway.
Bautista also cited airport projects such as the privatization of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan, Sangley Point International Airport in Cavite, the recently completed Bicol International Airport, Bahol-Panglao Airport, and Laguindingan airport.
The DOTr is set to issue the invitation to bid for NAIA by early next month and award the project by yearend to the winning bidder.
On top of the P170.6 billion cost of NAIA, Bautista said the project will include an upfront payment of P30 billion.
He added 10 regional airports will be developed.
Reliable broadband
Meanwhile, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has committed to redouble its efforts to bring reliable broadband connectivity across the country.
“We will ramp up efforts in achieving the targets of our flagship connectivity programs so we can reach all Filipinos, especially those in the farthest and most remote islands of this great nation,” said Ivan John Uy DICT secretary.
Last April, the DICT facilitated the initial 100 Gbps link-up between Los Angeles, California, and the cable landing stations in Baler, Aurora, and San Fernando, La Union as part of the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure (LBI). The LBI, a collaboration between DICT, Meta (Facebook), and Bases Conversion and Development Authority, aims to provide high-speed internet connectivity to Northern Luzon and Metro Manila through the National Fiber Backbone Phase 1.
Renewables
Secretary Raphael Lotilla of the Department of Energy (DOE) said the call for greater use of renewable energy (RE) is being intensified as a total of 126 RE contracts with potential capacity of 31,131.74 MW were also awarded by the DOE for the period.
“We will continue to work on long-term solutions in accordance with the clear goals set by the President to develop indigenous sources of energy, particularly renewables. We commit to pursue our mission and respond to emerging energy challenges and issues to ensure sustainable, stable, secure, accessible, and reasonably priced energy,” Lotilla said at the forum.
In his 194-page President’s Report to the People, the technical notes of the SONA, Marcos said the government is also determined to improve energy supply in the country as it promotes more alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and even nuclear power.
The President said the government is now updating its Nuclear Power Roadmap which will serve as a guide for the country’s rolling out its Nuclear Energy Program as well as ensure “the highest standards of public safety, security, and safeguards for nuclear energy use.”
He said that at present, the administration is also exploring the development of small-scale modular nuclear power plants or its derivatives, and working on the adoption of 123 agreements with the United States “to enhance cooperation on nuclear energy applications.”
Marcos said the executive branch will work closely with Congress to ensure the immediate passage of key legislative measures on energy such as the enabling law for the Natural Gas Industry to aid in the rapid development of the country’s natural gas sector, and the amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to increase energy supply, render efficient and optimal power utilization, and lower electricity prices.
Fight vs smuggling
For the Department of Agriculture (DA), Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban’s response to Marcos’ SONA is to form an anti-agricultural smuggling task force.
“Right now, we’re not yet 100 percent perfect (in our performance against) smuggling and that’s what we’re looking for at this point in time. More people have to be involved, including more people from Customs,” Panganiban said at the sidelines of an event hosted by the Sugar Regulatory Administration yesterday.
Panganiban added so far, the DA busted at least four big warehouses in Luzon carrying smuggled sugar, onion and meat, among others.
DA said cases were already filed against different owners of the involved warehouses.
Mercedita Sombilla, DA undersecretary, emphasized the importance of the 662.67 kilometers farm-to-market road put up so far by the administration in connecting rural areas to towns and commercial centers that helped improved income for farmers and encouraged diversification of production.
However, Sombilla said, the DA’s masterplan indicates the country still needs about 64,155 km more of farm-to-market roads
In response to the SONA’s call to amend the Fisheries Code, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said government will have to consult small scale fishers and ensure this will benefit owners of commercial fishing vessels.
Food prices, supply
Also at the forum, Undersecretary Ruth Castelo of the Department of Trade and Industry said the agency has put out a six-point action agenda that would revolutionalize food chain from farms to distribution.
Castelo said DTI’s methods of ensuring food security are guided by science and the balance of nature, so that production is both sustainable and responsible.
She added the DTI’s mandate of ensuring the availability of basic necessities and prime commodities at reasonable prices at all times extends to ensuring access to affordable yet high quality goods through the Diskwento Caravan and in partnership with the DA, the Kadiwa ng Pangulo
Castelo said in response to farmers’ challenges with accessing markets and acquiring fair prices for their produce, the DTI has the Farmer Retail Market Program, a contract farming program, aims to link onion farmers and institutional buyers directly. Myla Iglesias, Jed Macapagal, Jocelyn Montemayor and Irma Isip
