NEDA panels okay revised list of ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects
Credit to Author: Anna Leah E. Gonzales| Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2019 16:26:02 +0000
THE National Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee and the Committee on Infrastructure Cabinet Level jointly approved on Wednesday the revised list of flagship projects under the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program, which now number a hundred.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia confirmed the approval during a phone call with The Manila Times, saying the 100 projects had an aggregate value of P4.2 trillion. He emphasized, however, that the list might “still be subject to modification.”
In a statement, Vince Dizon, presidential adviser for flagship programs and projects, also confirmed the approval.
According to him, among those listed are the Metro Manila Subway Project, the North-South Commuter Railway Project, the Clark International Airport Expansion Project, the Cebu Monorail System Project, Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridge Project, the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge Project and the Mindanao Rail Project.
“Continuity is what is most important for President Duterte. This is why all of the 100 flagship projects will be started under his term, with a significant number completed, while [others would] be partially operational by 2022, said Dizon, also the president and chief executive officer of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.
“The swift implementation of these flagship projects is paramount to us and this sentiment is shared by the Filipino people; and the government, with the help of the private sector and our partner international agencies, will deliver,” he added.
Of these projects, 26 would be implemented through Public-Private partnerships (PPP).
“PPP projects under the Duterte administration should promote public interest. In other words, PPP must be for the people,” Dizon said.
“Unfortunately, PPP concession agreements executed in the past failed to promote public interest. The government has been tied to provisions such as automatic rate increases, commitments of non-interference and non-compete clauses, which strip it of its ability to require concessionaires to improve services, all of which have been detrimental to the public interest,” he added.
“Under the Duterte administration, such disadvantageous provisions will not be allowed.”
The approval comes after Pernia said in late October that three big-ticket projects were removed from Build, Build, Build, as these were found “unfeasible” to implement.
He identified these as the 18.2-kilometer Luzon (Sorsogon)-Samar, the 23-kilometer Leyte-Surigao and the 24.5-kilometer Cebu-Bohol bridge projects.
WITH A REPORT FROM LISBET K. ESMAEL