Government completes 4 priority infrastructure projects

MANILA, Philippines — The government has completed four priority infrastructure projects under the infrastructure flagship projects (IFP) list, according to the National Economic and Development Authority.

Asked to provide an update on the government’s infrastructure projects, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said four of the IFPs have been completed.

These are the Samar Pacific Coastal Road project, Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation project for low lying areas of Pampanga Bay, Flood Risk Improvement and Management project in Cagayan de Oro and the Surallah-T’Boli-San Jose Road.

Balisacan said there are 186 projects in the IFP list.

Of these IFPs, 31 have been approved for implementation, while five are awaiting government approval, 35 are under project preparation or undertaking feasibility studies and another 45 are under pre-project preparation.

Balisacan said those under pre-project preparation are those for pre-feasibility study to ensure these are technically viable.

Projects part of the IFP list are those being prioritized in terms of the government’s budget preparation and benefiting from expedited issuance of applicable permits and licenses.

Balisacan said some projects encounter delays due to the incomplete submission of necessary information from implementing agencies.

“It’s not NEDA (causing delays). We’re easy recipient of these blames because we are the reviewers, we review whether the proper metrics are met in terms of viability, sustainability,” he said.

He said if the information from the proponents and the implementing agencies are incomplete, the project cannot be submitted for approval of the NEDA Board chaired by the President.

“So our appeal to the project proponents, complete the proposal before you bring it in,” he said.