Neda approves 9 projects, defers 2

NINE projects were approved during the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) board meeting presided by President Benigno Aquino III in Malacanang on Tuesday.

Emerging from the four-hour meeting, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang said nine among the 11 projects discussed during the meeting were approved.

These include the Flood Management Master Plan for Metro Manila and Areas (P351 billion), Improvement of various floodways, drainage systems and river capacities in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions (P5 billion), various bridge projects of Department of Public Works and Highways (P16.3 billion), change in scope, increase in cost and implementation extension for the Mindanao Roads Improvement Project (P3.9 billion), and Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 East Extension Project (P9.7 billion).

Also approved were Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 Capacity Extension Project (P8.6 billion), Bicol International Airport Project (P4.8 billion), New Bohol (Panglao) Airport Development Project (P7.4 billion), strengthening of Angat Dam and Dike Project (P5.7 billion) and rehabilitation of Agus VI hydroelectric power plant.

“I think what most interest the people is the flood control…Just to show you the urgency of this project we have approved the initial P5 billion to get this project started immediately,” said Carandang.

The government projected in the master plan to be completed in 2035. “So it’s a multi-year, multi-agency program headed by the DPWH.”

Two projects discussed during the board meeting that were not approved were the Cavite Laguna Expressway project and acquisition of patrol boats for the Coast Guard that will be deployed in the West Philippine Sea.

But Carandang clarified that these projects were only pending and will get the approval of the board once the documents needed are submitted.

“It is not that there were not approved we just needed more details. So they are still pending… There are technical questions that needed to be addressed before get approval,” he said.

“In principle we understand the need for more patrol vessels but there are certain technical requirement that needed to be clarified before we could approve that,” he added.

Carandang said the projects will be funded through loans, general appropriations and public-private partnership.

Present during the meeting were Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, Agriculture Secretary Proseco Alcala. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, and Neda Director General Arsenio Balisacan.

Also in attendance were Mindanao Development Authority (MinDa) chairperson Luwalhati Antonino, Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (Ulap) president Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso Umali, Jr., Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) Governor Mujiv Hataman, Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Head Julia Andrea Abad, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)