The government expects hundreds of infrastructure projects will be left unfinished by the end of the Duterte administration in 2022.
“It is incumbent upon the next administration to not only continue, but to fast-track all the good work that has been done,” said Vince Dizon, presidential adviser for flagship programs and projects, who is also Bases Conversion and Development Authority president and chief executive officer.
To date, 11 infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) have been completed and 29 more to be finished by 2021 and 2022, while 79 projects are expected to be done by 2023 onwards, based on the National Economic and Development Authority Board’s approved revised list of IFPs.
The Cabinet secretaries reported on Friday 212 airport projects, 446 seaport projects, 10,376 flood mitigation structures, 26,494 kilometers of road and 5,555 bridges have been completed under the Build, Build, Build program.
However, a total of 102 airport projects, 117 seaport projects, 1,090.30 km. of railway, 2,587 flood mitigation structures, 2,515 km. of road and 1,020 bridges are currently under construction and expected to be completed beyond 2022.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) through the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the Manila International Airport Authority, has completed 212 airport projects while 102 more are ongoing.
DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade also mentioned during the virtual briefing last Friday notable completed airport projects, such as the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Bohol-Panglao International Airport, and the new passenger terminal building (PTB) of Clark International Airport which will be inaugurated next month.
Tugade said several airport projects are also set to be inaugurated this year, namely the Catarman Airport, Butuan Aiport, Busuanga Airport, Zamboanga Airport, Siquijor Airport, General Santos Airport and the Bicol International Airport.
In the railway sector, Tugade said the new Marikina and Antipolo stations of the Light Rail Transit line 2 (LRT-2) East Extension project will start operations on June 22.
The Common Station, which will interconnect the LRT-1, Metro Rail Transit (MRT) line 3, MRT-7 and the Metro Manila Subway, will be completed this year, he said.
The DOTr is also working on other railway projects, such as the Metro Manila Subway, MRT-7, North-South Commuter Railway, LRT-1 Cavite Extension and Subic-Clark Railway.
In the maritime sector, Tugade reported the DOTr, together with the Philippine Ports Authority, has completed 446 seaport projects since 2016 and is currently working on 117 more.
He noted the completion of the country’s biggest PTB in the Port of Cagayan de Oro that can now accommodate 3,000 passengers daily, while the social tourism ports in Palawan made the province easily accessible for nearby regions and neighboring countries.
DOTr also plans the opening new roads, pedestrian facilities and 560 km. of protected bike lanes in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is optimistic it can decongest Edsa by 2022 with the completion of several infrastructure projects.
“ In one month, we will open the Pantaleon-Estrella Bridge which will connect Makati and Mandaluyong within 12 minutes,” said Mark Villar, DPWH secretary and chair of the Cabinet’s infrastructure cluster.
“Before the term of the President ends, we will complete the construction of several big-ticket projects, including the Kalayaan Bridge linking Taguig and Pasig, Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, Mindanao Avenue Extension, Katipunan Avenue Extension and the NLEX (North Luzon Expressway)-SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) Connector project which will connect Skyway Stage 3 and NLEX Harbor Link,” Villar added.
