P1 T spent for infra in first half of Duterte admin

The government has spent close to P1 trillion for infrastructure projects in the first three years of the Duterte government compared to the past administrations.

According to the report of Presidential Adviser on Flagship Programs and Projects Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and Chief Executive Officer Vince Dizon during the press briefing of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), this translates to roughly six percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

From 2001 to 2010, only P100.3 billion or 1.6 percent of GDP was spent on infrastructure, and from 2011 to 2016, this increased from P378.3 billion or three percent of GDP. The current administration spent close to P1 trillion from 2017 to 2019.

"This is unprecedented throughout the country's history and the most ambitious infrastructure program in our history," Dizon said. 

He said that "Build, Build, Build" was launched in 2017 and was envisioned to transform the country's antiquated infrastructure in order to propel the country towards modernity during the period of the President's term from 2016 to 2022.

"We started very strong as can be seen by the completed projects of the various agencies throughout the last three-and- a-half to four years," Dizon stated. 

He reported the completion of 121 airport projects; 369 commercial and social tourism ports; almost 24,000 kilometers of new roads; and 4,959 kilometers of new bridges.

Some of the projects  are the New Clark City Project Phase 1-A which successfully hosted the Southeast Asian Games last year;

The Harbor Link project, one of the key public-private partnerships of the administration which is now servicing thousands of vehicles throughout Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, and National Capital Region;

 The Sangley Airport Project which has reinvigorated the areas in Calabarzon or Region 4-B with a new airport that has started to service general aviation;

The broadbrand project with Facebook, by the BCDA, and the Department of Information and Communications Technology which is now ready to bring in two terabytes of new bandwith to the Filipino public;

The Angat water transmission improvement project which was completed during the MECQ and GCQ in order to provide more water to Metro Manila to avoid another shortage crisis;

The Bohol-Panglao International Airport completed two years ago, approved by the previous administration but in the beginning of the President's term was only at less than three percent completion;

The Tarlac - Pangasinan - La Union Expressway Rosario exit which was just inaugurated several weeks ago during the General Community Quarantine period. Motorists bound to Baguio City  can exit Rosario and from Rosario immediately go up Kennon Road and be in Baguio in 30 minutes. Manila to Baguio which took previously seven hours with traffic can now easily take three to-three-and-a-half hours. 

Dizon also mentioned the Clark International Airport which started in 2018 is now nearing completion and expected to be fully operational by the first quarter of 2021.