NEDA approves P171.14 B projects

MANILA, Philippines - The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has approved nine projects collectively valued at P171.14 billion during the first meeting of its  board under the Duterte administration.

Approved were agriculture, development and infrastructure projects that have passed the evaluation of the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) and the infrastructure committee of the NEDA.

“Once implemented and completed, these approved projects will help attain our medium- and long-term development goals of making the agricultural sector competitive, improving mobility by making our transport system safer and more efficient, increasing disaster resiliency, and improving health services ,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia.

These projects include the P10.2 billion Inclusive Partnership for Agricultural Competitiveness (IPAC), the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center Modernization, the P2.2 billion modernization of Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital, the P23.5 billion Metro Manila Flood Management, Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) – EDSA of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Bicol International Airport, Ninoy Aquino International Airport PPP, and  the Philippine Coast Guard’s Maritime Safety Capability Improvement project.

The IPAC project will assist smallholder farmers and farmer organizations in 50 agrarian reform community clusters across 44 provinces in 14 regions while the EVRMC aims to expand the capacity of the regional medical center from a 325-bed to a 500-bed capacity.

The modernization of this regional medical center would enable  Eastern Visayas, to catch up on the Millennium Development Goals of improving maternal health and decreasing infant mortality especially for indigent households. The project’s total estimated cost is PhP2.4 billion and is expected to be completed within 30 months.

The P23.5 billion flood management project involves the rehabilitation of 36 pumping stations located in Manila, Pasay, Taguig, Makati, and Malabon through the replacement of pumps, and the construction of 20 new pumping stations in Manila, Pasay, Pasig, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Caloocan, Valenzuela, and Quezon City.

The BRT, on the other hand, aims to provide alternative mass transit in Metro Manila by establishing a system within an EDSA route of 48.6 kilometers covering Monumento up to Diosdado Macapagal Avenue/Roxas Boulevard, with integrated routes between the Ortigas Business District, Bonifacio Global City, and the Makati Business District. It will also be linked with the NAIA terminals.

The project’s total estimated cost is P37.8 billion with an implementation period of within three years (2017-2019).  The project is expected to be operational in 2020.

 The Bohol International Airport, on the other hand, entails the construction of a new domestic-Principal Class 1 airport of international standards in Daraga, Albay to accomodate the expected passenger volume of about 2.15 million by 2025.  Its total estimated cost is P4.8 billion.

The NEDA board also adopted new policies to improve and streamline the government’s approval processes of major public investment projects.

Also approved was raising the ICC project cost floor from P1 billion to P5 billion to declog the pipeline of projects for ICC approval and to promote greater decision flexibility and accountability of line departments in implementing their priority projects.

The approval of projects worth less than P5 billion would then be delegated to heads of agencies, but would be reported by these agencies to the ICC prior to implementation. 

The NEDA Secretariat would provide assistance to agencies to facilitate effective and accountable exercise of such delegation of approvals to implementing agencies.

The board also approved the streamlining of ICC review procedures for minor changes in scope, design, cost, and extension of implementation or loan/grant validity of projects.  Approvals of these projects will be delegated to the level of the ICC, the Department of Finance, and the NEDA Secretariat, as applicable, based on existing laws, rules and regulations.