Other Government Release

National Economic and Development Authority

NEDA Board approves gov’t systems modernization project, major infrastructure initiatives to boost economic productivity



MANILA – Marking a significant step toward enhancing the efficiency of the government’s human resource management systems, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., approved the Philippine Civil Service Modernization (PCSM) Project during its 20th meeting on August 28, 2024.

The PCSM Project, spearheaded by the Civil Service Commission (CSC), aims to support the government as it leverages technology toward further modernizing public sector processes. The initiative focuses on streamlining and simplifying the human resource (HR) information systems across various government agencies.

“The public sector employs nearly two million individuals who are essential to the provision of public services. If the system lacks efficiency, and government agencies are not interconnected, we cannot optimize our service delivery. By implementing new technologies, the project will automate and digitalize processes to enhance efficiency, leading to better coordination and response times, more accurate payroll processing, and streamlined recruitment and onboarding,” explained NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan.

The project will initially be implemented in 39 pilot government agencies in 2025 and will expand to 1,187 government agencies within the next decade.

“This project aligns with the objectives of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which aims to improve the quality of public sector services. We expect improvements in government productivity as a result of this initiative, and we will closely monitor its implementation and progress to accelerate its rollout,” said Balisacan.

The NEDA Board has also confirmed the ad referendum approval of the extension for the submission of comparative proposals for the upgrade, expansion, operations, and maintenance of the Laguindingan International Airport until September 13, 2024.

“Upon the end of the challenge period for the Laguindingan airport, if there is no challenger, the project is expected to be awarded by end of September. Meanwhile if there is a challenge placed, the award of the project is be expected to be made by mid of December this year,” Balisacan said.

Additionally, the Board approved an increase in the budget and an extension of the loan validity and implementation period for the Metro Manila Priority Bridges Seismic Improvement Project (MMPBSIP). This project aims to mitigate the effects of large-scale earthquakes in Metro Manila through the replacement, retrofitting, and strengthening of the Guadalupe Bridge and the Lambingan Bridge. This will enhance the earthquake resilience of the National Capital Region to minimize possible disruptions to economic activity in the event of major natural disasters.

The approved increase in the project cost of the MMPBSIP amounts to PHP2.406 billion, bringing the total cost to PHP10.339 billion. This additional funding will be allocated to account for the increase in civil works, the procurement of additional materials, and modifications in the installation method.

The NEDA Board also approved the extension of the project’s implementation period to December 30, 2028, along with the extensions of the validity of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loans for the MMPBSIP.

“These major projects approved by the NEDA Board are expected to further enhance our country’s economic productivity as we invest in initiatives that promote a more robust and sustainable development trajectory in the long term,” said Balisacan.

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