Completed flagship infra projects now 15 out of 119 —DPWH

The number of infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) under the previous administration’s “Build, Build, Build” initiative has risen to 15 as of June this year, a top official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Wednesday.

During the House Organizational Meeting of the Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects, DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain said that three more IFPs have been completed within the first half of the year.

This brought the completed IFPs to 15 out of 119 from the 12 earlier reported by the DPWH in April. 

These three newly completed projects are the P7.505-billion Flood Risk Management Project in Cagayan, Tagoloan, and Imus Rivers; the P5.947-billion China grant-funded Metro Manila Logistics Network (Estrella-Pantaleon and Binondo-Intramuros Bridges); and the P9.759-billion LRT-2 East Extension Project.

The first 12 completed projects are the following:

• Completed in 2020
  • P1-billion Improvement of remaining sections along Pasig River from Delpan Bridge to Napindan Channel
  • P245-million Pulangi 4 Selective Dredging Phase 3
  • P1.436-billion Sangley Airport
  • P3.29-billion Angat Water Transmission Improvement Project
  • P18-billion New Clark City Phase 1
  • P14.972-billion Clark International Airport Expansion Project
  • P1-billion Luzon Bypass Infrastructure Project
• Completed in 2021
  • P950-million LTO Central Office Command Center
  • P1.096-billion General Santos Airport
  • P971-million Programme for the Support to Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Marawi City and its Surrounding Areas
  • P5.724-billion Metro Manila Logistics Network: Bonifacio Global City-Ortigas Center Link Road Project
  • P21.966-billion MRT-3 Rehabilitation Project

Meanwhile, of the projects up for completion by June this year, two have been inaugurated and are partially open to traffic: the P1.166-billion Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project and the P5.445-billion Matibug-Maridagao Irrigation Project Stage 2.

The P750-million Motor Vehicle Recognition and Enhancement System Project is ongoing with 87% completion rate, while the P2.783-billion Unified Grand Central Station is also ongoing with 76.29% progress rate.

There are also 10 IFPs up for completion by December 2022, which include the P4.573-billion Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project Phase 5 (92.73% complete), the P4.497-billion Chico River Pump Irrigation Project (87.64% complete, partially inaugurated on June 25, 2022), and the P4.798-billion Bicol International Airport Development Project (97.328%, inaugurated on October 6, 2021).

Meanwhile, 90 IFPs are for continuing implementation and completion in 2023 onwards, with ongoing construction on 37; ongoing detailed engineering design on 11; ongoing processing of financing on seven; ongoing procurement on eight; ongoing government approval on eight; and ongoing project preparation on 19.

Last month, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said the government will allot five to six percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to infrastructure projects. — BM, GMA News