Duterte admin’s Build, Build, Build pipeline shrinks to P4.7T from P8.2T

The National Economic and Development Authority now sees the government spending P4.7 trillion on infrastructure until 2022, smaller by P3.5 trillion from the original P8.2 trillion on program, after the list of projects has been revised.

The updated list of 100 infrastructure projects is now worth only P4.7 trillion, NEDA officer-in-charge Undersecretary for Investment Programming Jonathan Uy said Monday.

“We have adjusted kasi. We’re still trying to meet the target of P4.7 trillion over that period 2017 to 2022,” he told reporters in Pasig City.

In 2016, the administration has allotted P8.2 trillion to fund what was then called the “golden age of infrastructure” from 2017 to 2022. The golden age of infrastructure has been rebranded as Build, Build, Build.

The list originally included 75 flagship projects, but has since been updated. Several big-ticket projects were scrapped due to feasibility issues.

The big-ticket projects have since been replaced with smaller projects, increasing the list to 100 projects.

“‘Yun ‘yung target kasi based on the GDP estimates. We have to reach about 5% of the GDP to meet the Build, Build, Build program so what’s changing is not really the aggregates, but more of the specifics,” said Uy.

“Some of the initial projects have already been studied and they’re not technically feasible to do,” he added.

The government is now more responsive to collaborations with the private sector.

The administration has come to realize that “the private sector wants to participate in the Build, Build, Build program so we hope to put that forward in the update,” Uy said.

“Mostly government, may PPP na ngayon. ‘Yun ‘yung thrust ni Presidential Assistant Vince Dizon to be more holistic,” Uy added.

NEDA’s Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss the updated list of projects. —VDS, GMA News