The government of Japan will help fund through official development assistance (ODA) six of the 13 Philippine infrastructure projects newly approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board.
“Japan is one of our long-time and most trusted development partners. We recognize its commitment to technical excellence in infrastructure,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said at the recent 36th Joint Meeting of Economic Cooperation Committees of the Philippines and Japan.
Of the six new projects, the total cost of which amounts to around P715 billion, five are in transportation while one involves flood management.
“Our focus on the transportation sector is part of the bigger mission to decongest Metro Manila, and bring development to the regions, which is embedded in our National Spatial Strategy,” Pernia said.
In view of Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) study estimating the loss of P3.5 billion every day from traffic congestion in Metro Manila, the Cabinet official said the government is acting to ease traffic in the mega cities of the country.
“This estimated economic loss in daily traffic is massive, and we must act fast. We are looking at this problem in a comprehensive way. We recognize that transportation is the enabler and driver of socioeconomic development, [which] is why we have the National Transport Policy approved by the NEDA Board,” Pernia said.
Guided by this policy, the Inter-Agency Technical Committee on Transport Planning and the NEDA Board Cluster on Infrastructure will review plans, projects, and programs for the long-term development of the transport sector, he added.
The government’s transport vision is “a safe, secure, reliable, efficient, integrated, intermodal, affordable, cost-effective, environmentally sustainable, and people-oriented national transport system that ensures improved quality of life of the people.”
“Let me reiterate that infrastructure is crucial. It is a sine qua non in development. What we aim [for] is an infrastructure boom that serves not just the economy but, more importantly, the Filipino people,” Pernia said.
The six projects that Japan will fund through ODA are Malolos-Clark Railway Project; PNR South Commuter Project; Maritime Safety Capability Project II; Metro Manila Subway Project-Phase 1; Arterial Road Bypass Project-Phase III-Request for Change in Source of Financing (formerly Plaridel Bypass Road Project); and Cavite Industrial Area Flood Risk Management Project.
Aside from the six new projects for funding by Japan, seven new projects will be funded with assistance from other ODA partners. These are Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project (Asian Development Bank); Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility (ADB); Priority Bridges under the Pasig River, Marikina River and Manggahan Flood Bridges Construction Project (Binondo-Intramuros and Estrella-Pantaleon Bridges); Metro Manila Flood Management Project Phase I (World Bank); Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)-EDSA (ADB); PNR South Longhaul Project (China); New Cebu International Container Port (Korea); and Safe Philippines Project, Phase 1 (China).
Image courtesy of tiverylucky at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
