3 projects dropped from Build, Build, Build
Credit to Author: Lisbet K. Esmael| Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2019 20:07:06 +0000
AT least three big-ticket projects under the Duterte administration’s Build, Build, Build infrastructure program were dropped as they were found “unfeasible,” the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said on Friday.
J.GERARD SEGUIA
In a briefing on the AmBisyon Natin 2040 event in Taguig City, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia identified these as the 18.2-kilometer Luzon (Sorsogon)-Samar, the 23-kilometer Leyte-Surigao and the 24.5-kilometer Cebu-Bohol bridge projects.
“What we have done is to take out certain projects that are impossible” to implement, because we are yet to have the technology needed “to build in very deep waters and long bridges,” Pernia explained, although he pointed out that this was “available somewhere.”
“For example, the [Sorsogon-Samar bridge project was] found to be unfeasible…in terms of economic viability and financial [costs], so it was taken out. Also, the Leyte-to-Surigao long bridge is also very deep and really just very challenging [to build]. [Constructing it is] going to be very costly,” he said.
As for the third project, its construction could not be justified at this time, the NEDA chief added.
Although these planned bridges were scrapped, Pernia said the government would add smaller projects to the bring the number of Build, Build, Build projects from 75 to 100.
He didn’t identify these projects, but said his agency would release the revised list next week.
Doable projects
Michael L. Ricafort, head of economics and industry research division and corporate planning group at the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., described the move as wise, as this would allow the government to focus on doable projects.
“Rationalizing the Build, Build, Build program to exclude more infrastructure projects that are considered less feasible and instead prioritize the deployment [or] rollout of [a] greater number of feasible infrastructure projects, even if they are smaller in size, [is smart], as this could be an advantage with the relative ease of completing smaller, but more useful infrastructure projects that are deemed most important and most responsive to the requirements and latest conditions/circumstances in the local economy,” Ricafort said.
“Given the finite financial resources of the national government, greater involvement of the private sector in the country’s major infrastructure projects through PPP (public-private partnership)…would help speed up decision-making and [the] deployment of infrastructure projects [to] private-sector proponents, in coordination with the government, especially those infrastructure projects that are deemed financially feasible [or] lucrative for the private sector to be enticed to participate,” he added.