Despite the struggles and hardships brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was able to accomplish eight different projects, including four major infrastructure under the flagship ‘Build Build Build’ (BBB) program of President Duterte.
In his fourth quarter report to the Office of the President through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, DPWH Undersecretary and BBB chief implementer Emil K. Sadain disclosed the completion of eight projects worth ₱94.64 billion.
Four of them are DPWH projects identified as BGC-Ortigas Center Link Road Project, Estrella Pantaleon Bridge, and Marawi Transcentral Road Phase 1.
The BGC-Ortigas Center Link Road Project and Estrella Pantaleon Bridge are new alternative linkages between major thoroughfares constructed to increase the number of usable roadways that would decongest traffic in EDSA and other major roads in Metro Manila.
The BGC-Ortigas Center Link Road Project shortened to 12 minutes the travel time between Bonifacio Global City going to Ortigas Central Business District while Estrella Pantaleon Bridge is a modern bridge connecting cities of Mandaluyong and Makati within five minutes that has not only improved mobility but also enhanced the resilience against natural disasters.
The 18.97-kilometer Marawi Transcentral Road Phase 1 funded by a grant from Japan fulfilled the government’s promise to build back better Marawi City with a peaceful road to recovery from the suffering due to the siege four years ago.
A fourth project completed and inaugurated by President Duterte funded under the Public-Private Partnership Program is the 18-kilometer Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 from Buendia, Makati City to Balintawak, Quezon City that connected North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).
Four other projects in partnership with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) are LTO Central Command Center, LRT-2 East Extension, GenSan Airport Development Project and Bicol International Airport.
“Moving forward, we are hoping that the next administration will continue President Duterte’s legacy of infrastructure development thru the BBB Program for recovery, growth and sustainability as highlighted by the President during the recent signing of 2022 General Appropriations Act or national budget to increase the Philippines growth potential and give the Filipinos a better life,” said Sadain.
Sadain said a total of 77 IFPs projects worth ₱3.51 trillion are on-going while 27 projects are currently in the pipeline worth ₱1.09 trillion.
Considered under the pipeline projects are those that may start its construction within the present administration but will be part of the continuity pipeline of the succeeding administrations.
In terms of completion, 18 projects will be completed within the administration’s term while eight projects will be delivered to completion in the second semester of 2022 and 86 projects in 2023 onwards.
Other than providing the much-needed infrastructure for Filipinos, investment in the infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) under BBB Program has the biggest multiplier in terms of created jobs.
Based on the preliminary estimates of the National Economic and Development Authority, it is projected that about 580,000 employment in 2021 and about 620,000 employment in 2022 will be generated from the implementation of the IFPs.
Sadain has promoted collaborative engagements among oversight and implementing agencies to accelerate the preparation, implementation, and completion of different IFPs under the BBB program.
He said that the project teams of DPWH include the Department of Budget and Management, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Finance, DOTr, Department of Health (DOH), National Irrigation Administration, Metropolitan Waterworks Sewerage System, Local Water Utilities Administration, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Information Communication Technology, Toll Regulatory Board, and Philippine Statistics Authority.
Sadain recently organized the successful holding of the 1st Inter-Agency Forum held Dec. 14-15 which provided the opportunity to thresh out and recommend solutions on actual issues on the ground which most of the time are not reported on usual accomplishment reports of agencies in the past.