The National Economic and Development Authority Board (NEDA) Board, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., approved on Friday some government projects and initiatives that will support the attainment of the country’s overall goal of genuine economic and social transformation.
“The Marcos administration remains steadfast in its dedication to pursuing projects that are in line with its 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda and with the strategies identified in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in a press briefing in Malacañang.
“We commit to implement initiatives that will promote inclusive growth, induce high quality job creation, and greatly improve living standards for all Filipinos.”
NEDA Secretary Balisacan said that among those approved by the NEDA Board was the 59.4-kilometer Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) Extension Project in accordance with the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) guidelines.
The four-lane expressway highway, with an estimated project cost of P23.4 billion, will connect the Ilocos Region to Central Luzon and Metro Manila, and is expected to simulate economic activity, improve road congestion, provide better and safer road access, and promote the development of new growth centers in nearby regions.
The TPLEX Extension Project will be implemented through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The Board also confirmed the ICC guidelines for LGU PPP projects, which outlines the requirements and procedures for processing PPP proposals of local government units (LGUs).
Said guidelines highlighted the role of the regional development councils and other local development councils in ensuring that LGU projects are aligned with national development plans and priorities.
The Board also confirmed the ICC approval of the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Projects (PRDP) Scale-Up or PRDP Scale-Up, which costs around P45.01 billion and could build on the successes of the original PRDP.
Through the PRDP Scale-Up, the government could further enhance agricultural productivity, increase income opportunities and improve the living conditions in rural communities throughout the country.
With its implementation, the government aims to empower farmers and fisherfolks, strengthen value chains, and promote inclusive and sustainable agricultural growth by institutionalizing new environmental and social safeguard frameworks and protocols.
During Friday’s meeting, the NEDA Board also reviewed its first progress report and the infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) under the Marcos administration’s Build Better More program.
Balisacan reported that out of the 194 IFPs, 68 are currently ongoing; 25 have been approved for implementation; nine are waiting government approval; and, the remaining projects are either in the process of project preparation or pre-project preparation.
“To recall, these high-impact infrastructure projects are designed to address the nation’s infrastructure deficit to revive driving sustainable economic growth across priority sectors of our economy. In total, IFPs have an estimated cost of P8.3 trillion,” he said. (PND) is
