“By expanding and upgrading our infrastructure, we aim to create enabling conditions for high-quality job creation for millions of Filipinos.”
The government is investing heavily in transportation infrastructure projects to support its goal of achieving upper-middle-income country (UMIC) status by 2025.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the government is investing more in the aviation sector to provide comfortable travel for passengers and international tourists.
Bautista said passengers should expect improved experiences at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as the airport’s operation and maintenance will be transferred to the New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. next month.
The transport chief said airports such as those in Laguinduingan and Bohol will be operated and maintained under a public-private partnership scheme.
“Soon, Laguinduingan and Bohol Airports will be turned over to the private sector, so that all passengers will have a positive experience, especially foreign travelers and other tourists here in the country,” Bautista said.
“The DOTr is also working with other private companies to operate and maintain other airports here in the country,” he said.
Bautista said the agency is accelerating the construction of large-scale railway projects to address the country’s traffic problems.
He said that 23 of its 69 infrastructure projects focus on railway improvements and expansions.
Five of these projects, including the North-South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway, LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension, MRT Line 7, and MRT Line 3 rehabilitation, are currently under construction.
He said the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System can serve at least one million passengers, while the MRT-3 line can carry 500,000 passengers daily.
On the other hand, the Metro Manila Subway can accommodate 519,000 passengers daily, with the MRT-7 and LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project expected to carry 800,000 passengers and 300,000 passengers respectively.
National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the Marcos administration is committed to creating an environment conducive to infrastructure development.
“The government enacted and implemented key policy reforms and initiatives to create a more enabling policy and regulatory environment for investment and economic growth,” Balisacan said.
Critical to achieving the annual target infrastructure spending of 5 percent to 6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) is the continued evaluation, approval, and rollout of the 185 Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs) under the “Build-Better-More” program.
These game-changing, urgently needed and large-scale projects spanning various sectors are collectively valued at P9.54 trillion, or about $163 billion.
“By expanding and upgrading our infrastructure, we aim to create enabling conditions for high-quality job creation for millions of Filipinos, raise the competitiveness of our local industries, diversify our growth drivers to strengthen economic resilience, and enhance regional connectivity by linking our leading and lagging regions,” Balisacan said.
