The National Economic and Development Authority said Tuesday the Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee endorsed three high-impact infrastructure projects on flood control and traffic alleviation in Metro Manila.
Neda said in a statement the Ambal-Simuay River and Rio Grande de Mindanao river flood control projects and the construction of 10 proposed priority bridges crossing Pasig-Marikina River and Manggahan Floodway of the Public Works Department were among the 75 flagship projects of the Duterte administration.
The Mindanao flood control projects will cost P39.2 billion, including the construction of various flood management infrastructure such as dikes and floodgates along the Ambal-Simuay and Rio Grande de Mindanao which are parts of the Mindanao River Basin, the second largest river basin in the country.
Meanwhile, the construction of the remaining 10 priority bridges crossing Pasig-Marikina River and Manggahan Floodway would cost P27.37 billion. These bridges would help improve road transport network capacity and efficiency in Metro Manila by adding fix links and alternate routes, Neda said.
The approval of the construction of the first two bridges”•the Binondo-Intramuros and Estrella-Pantaleon Bridges”•with a total cost of P5.98 billion was earlier confirmed by the Neda Board on Sept. 12, 2017. The first two bridges will be funded by a grant from the Chinese government.
The ICC-CabCom, chaired by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and co-chaired by Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, also approved the Rural Agro-Enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growt Project of the Department of Trade and Industry, which is geared towards improving productivity of micro, small, and medium enterprises and making them competitive in the local and global markets.
The project, with a total cost of P4.78 billion, intends to support 78,000 farming households by increasing on-farm and off-farm activities and generating employment opportunities in rural areas.
The ICC-CabCom also approved the increase in cost and the change in scope of the Integrated Marine Environment Monitoring System Phase 2 Project of the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
This involves the improvement and expansion of the first phase of the project, particularly its vessel monitoring system and integration of various databases, including fishing vessel registry, ocean and weather data, stock assessment data, and records of illegal unreported and unregulated fishing.
The ICC-CC approved BFAR’s request to change the scope of the project to purchase additional VMS transceivers to cover more commercial fishing vessels and to utilize both satellite and terrestrial technologies, among others.
The ICC-CC also approved the change in scope and cost for the Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Measures in Low-Lying Areas of Pampanga Bay. The project aims to maximize drainage efficiency, minimize flood damages to properties and improve trading and market activities in the towns of Macabebe, Masantol, Minalin and Sto. Tomas in Pampanga province.
The Cabinet-level committee also approved the restructuring of the Integrated National Resource Management Project of DENR.
These ICC-approved projects will then be elevated to the Neda board, chaired by President Rodrigo Duterte, for confirmation.