Marcos approves 23 new infrastructure flagship projects

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Photo from PCO

MANILA, Philippine: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday approved 23 new infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) under his administration’s Build Better More program.

Marcos cleared the projects at the meeting of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board, which is chaired by the President.

While the President did not identify the new projects, he said these brought the total number of IFPs to 185 with a value of P9.14 trillion.

“We’ve approved 23 new IFPs, including the Davao City Bypass Construction, as part of our P9.14 trillion Build Better More Program! This brings our total IFPs to 185,” Marcos said in a statement posted on his social media.

The President was referring to changes in the scope of the Davao City Bypass Construction Project, which involves increasing the cost to P70.8 billion, according to the NEDA.

The project implementation will now be extended until Dec. 31, 2027 following the changes.

The 45.5-kilometer bypass road is set to reduce travel time between Davao City and Panabo City in Davao del Norte from over 2 hours to 49 minutes upon completion.

In a statement, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said that the recent decision aims to prioritize crucial projects to ensure they receive the necessary support for efficient and accelerated implementation.

“Our list of IFPs under the Build-Better-More Program serves as a prioritization tool to identify high-impact infrastructure projects that require immediate government support. By rationalizing the list, we ensure the implementation of as many important infrastructure projects of high significance as possible,” he said.

However, Balisacan clarified that certain projects removed from the list will still proceed as planned as they were already part of the regular government programs.

As of the fourth quarter of last year, the NEDA said that 74 IFPs have been implemented, 30 had been approved for implementation, 10 were awaiting government approval, and 83 were undergoing either project or pre-project preparation.

Of the 74 projects, 19 are scheduled to be completed this year. These are the P9.240-billion Camarines Sur Expressway, the P14.94-billion Central Luzon Expressway Phase 1, the P12.54-billion Flood Risk Improvement and Management Project for Cagayan de Oro, the P40.77-billion Health System Enhancement to Address and Limit Covid-19 Project, and the P7.57-billion Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Measures in the Low-Lying Areas of Pampanga Bay Project.

Also for completion in 2024 are the P23.2-billion NLEX-SLEX Connector Road, the P11.5-billion North South Commuter Railway, the P7.38-billion Panguil Bay Bridge, the P14.97-billion Palascao-Balatan Tourism Coastal Highway, the P4.63-billion Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project Phase 5, and the P29.59-billion Philippine Identification System, among others.

“We prioritize infrastructure development as a key driver of our economy to improve the lives of every Filipino. While significant policy reforms have already been put in place to address long-standing constraints to sustainable and resilient infrastructure, we recognize the need for further efforts to boost infrastructure investment and execution,” Balisacan said.

“Thus, we will closely monitor our infrastructure flagship projects to ensure they are completed and delivered on time,” he added.