THE list of the government’s priority projects, including infrastructure, will be outlined in the Public Investment Program (PIP) 2017-2022, which is expected to be completed by January.

The PIP 2017-2022 is a companion of Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 and will “come shortly after the PDP is approved,” said National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary for Investment Programming Rolando G. Tungpalan in an interview.

According to Mr. Tungpalan, infrastructure will have the biggest share in the PIP as the government plans to increase infrastructure spending to 5.4% of gross domestic product in 2017, the equivalent of P861 billion.

“Infrastructure will always have the biggest capital requirements,” he said, adding that social development such as health and education and the conditional cash transfers will also be in the PIP.

“In terms of investment, public investment in infrastructure will account for about 70% of the total capital investment,” said Mr. Tungpalan.

So far, there are 18 projects approved by the NEDA Board, the body which clears national projects costing P1 billion or more.

“These are transport, agriculture, rural development projects and many of them are now getting out of Manila,” said Mr. Tungpalan.

“Although we already have clear emerging priorities in transport, airport, roads, rails, we can sharpen a bit the priority list in support of PDP,” he added.

Infrastructure projects will be spread out to areas outside Metro Manila, especially in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

So far, these infrastructure projects in Mindanao include the 2,000-kilometer Mindanao Railway Project, the Davao Sasa Port modernization project, the Francisco Bangoy (Davao) International Airport expansion, development of the Laguindingan Airport in Northern Mindanao, the Mindanao Logistics Infrastructure Network, and the Rural Road Development Program.

According to Mr. Tungpalan, the priority projects and programs will support the PDP in its aim for more inclusive growth and poverty reduction.

29 December 2016
By Danica M. Uy