MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board approved 9 major projects in infrastructure, transportation, water supply and healthcare.

In a meeting on Thursday, May 29, spanning 11 hours, the administration agreed to begin the projects totaling P62.3 billion pesos.

Among them are projects to boost tourism by modernizing an airport and improving transport facilities, specifically in Cebu and Palawan, as well as 4 water supply projects to improve irrigation and local water districts.

The approved projects and their costs are listed below:

Kaliwa Dam project: P5.8 billion, proposed by Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS)

• involves dam construction that will produce 600 million liters per day of water supply and a water conveyance tunnel with a capacity of 2,400 million liters per day 
• covers municipalities of Tanay, Antipolo, Teresa in Rizal province, and towns of General Nakar and Infanta in Quezon province
• implemented through private-public partnership (PPP)

Angat Dam water transmission project: P5.8 billion, proposed by MWSS

• aims to improve reliability and security of Angat raw water transmission system 
• will be financed through a 60 million-dollar Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan

Water District Development: P2.7 billion, Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA)

• development of local water district
• upgrading of facilities will begin in Koronadal City, metropolitan San Fernando City-Pampanga area and 15 water districts in Bulacan
• funded by Asian Development Bank loan

Malinao Dam Improvement Project: P653 million, National Irrigation Administration (NIA)

• aims to double impounding capacity of the existing dam to sufficiently provide irrigation water to unserved and undeserved areas of the Bohol Integrated Irrigation System

Cebu Bus Rapid Transit: P10.6 billion, Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC)

• project will deliver “fast, comfortable and cost-effective mobility” in and around Cebu City through the provision of a segregated right-of-way infrastructure
• expected to be completed by 2017
• financed through loans from the Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD – World Bank)

Busuanga Airport Development: P4.1 billion, DOTC

• upgraded from a turbo-prop to a jet-capable airport through realignment of its existing runway and modernization of terminal facilities
• expected to boost tourism growth
• funded by DOTC

LRT Line 2 Operations and Maintenance: P16.5 billion, DOTC

• increase operating efficiency from present level of 67% or operational daily to 95% availability of the total LRT 2 fleet
• approved for bidding

Laoag Bypass Link Road: P1.2 billion, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)

• provide easier access to the Laoag international airport and the Currimao port
• expected to boost trade and tourism
• funded by DPWH

Modernization of Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital: P2 billion, Department of Health (DOH)

• expansion from existing 447-bed capacity to a modern 800-bed hospital
• will buttress DOH’s efforts to meet Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing the rate of infant and maternal mortality at childbirth
• funded by DOH

Aside from the 9 projects above, the Clark Green City proposed by the Bases Conversion Development Authority was also approved.

The project covers the municipalities of Capas and Bamban in Tarlac province. The approval allows the disposition of 1,300 hectares, which will make up phase one of the project containing institutional, mixed-use and industrial development starting 2014.

Of those projects being funded by the government, Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said the money “will come from the taxpayer’s money that you and I are paying.” – Rappler.com