Palace announces approval of major infrastructure projects

The Palace has announced the approval of several infrastructure projects aimed at easing traffic congestion and enhancing trade, following Monday's meeting of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board chaired by President Benigno S. Aquino III.

Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said that the approved projects include the construction of the P5.1-billion Panguil Bay Bridge, which will connect the city of Tangub in Misamis Occidental and Tubod in Lanao del Norte.

Once the bridge is constructed, travel time between the two areas will be reduced from two-and-a-half hours to 37 minutes, Coloma said.

Many areas in northern Mindanao will benefit from the project, among them the Zamboanga Peninsula, SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City), the Davao region, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), he said.

The NEDA Board also approved the expansion of the P6.7-billion Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) from two lanes to four lanes, and the P20-billion North Luzon Expressway (NLEX-SLEX) Connector Road Project, which needed to be re-approved after a lapse of 18 months.

Also approved by the NEDA Board was the Cavite-Laguna Expressway Project (CALAX).

In November last year, President Aquino instructed the Department of Public Works and Highways to rebid the project and on Monday the NEDA Board approved it, Coloma said, adding that the bid parameter will be the highest premium, with a minimum bid price of P20.105 billion.

Also approved on Monday was the first phase of the North-South Commuter Railway Project under the Department of Transportation and Communications.

The P117.3-billion project will center on the construction of a 36.7-km narrow-gauge elevated commuter railway of the Philippine National Railways from Malolos, Bulacan to Tutuban, Manila.

The project also involves the procurement of rolling stock and installation of electro-mechanical systems, Coloma said.

Also approved for implementation was the North-South Railway Project -- South Line commuter railway project from Tutuban to Calamba, Laguna and the long haul railway operations between Tutuban and Legaspi, Albay. This includes the extended operations on the branch line between Calamba and Batangas and extension between Legaspi and Matnog, Sorsogon, Coloma said.

The project involves the repair and rehabilitation of existing rail lines, he said.

The projects approved by the NEDA Board aim to ease the traffic congestion in Metro Manila, especially the NLEX-SLEX Connector and the CALAX, he said.

"Importante kasi ito dahil ang patuloy na pag-unlad ng ating ekonomiya ay nakabatay doon sa pagiging mahusay ang daloy ng produkto at mga tao at na-identify na po ang congestion sa Metro Manila bilang isang pangunahing problema," Coloma said.

"Malaking oras at malaking halaga ang nasasayang dahil sa mahigpit ng kondisyon ng traffic sa Kamaynilaan. Kaya ito ay tuwirang tinutukoy sa pamamagitan nitong mga connectivity and infrastructure projects," he added. (PCOO News Release)