Following the Duterte administration’s promise of providing a comfortable life for Filipinos, the government now highlights transportation infrastructure that have helped ease the experience of traveling in the Philippines.
Throughout the years starting from when President Rodrigo Duterte first took the position as President, several infrastructure were built and improved under the Build, Build, Build (BBB) Program.
According to the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development, the BBB Program is the “centerpiece program of the Duterte administration that aims to usher in the ‘Golden age of infrastructure’ in the Philippines.”
Build, Build, Build Committee Chairperson Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo said in an editorial written last July that there are at least 671 infrastructure projects completed by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) less than a year before the President steps down from his position.
More than 200 projects are expected to be completed before and beyond the President’s term.
So far, 214 airport projects, 451 commercial and social seaport projects, and six railway projects have been completed.
There is also the rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3).
Rehabilitation of the MRT-3 began in May 2019 when Sumitomo Corporation, its technical partner, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), and MHI’s fully-owned Philippine subsidiary, TES Philippines (TESP) formally took over for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the MRT-3.
Another project was the Skyway Stage 3, an elevated expressway from Buendia, Makati City to the North Luzon Expressway in Balintawak, Quezon City with a length of about 18.83 kilometers.
More projects connecting different areas were also built like the BGC-Ortigas Center Link Project, Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge Project, NLEX-Harbor Link, C5 Southlink, Kalayaan Bridge, Radial Road 10, EDSA Busway, and the Metro Bike Lane Network.
Highways like the Central Luzon Link Expressway and Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway were also built.
There was the Clark International Airport which was inspected last July 18.
The recently completed passenger terminal building has increased the airport’s passenger capacity from the previous 4.2 million to 12.2 million per year.
Accordingly, 29,264 kms of roads, 451 seaport projects, and 5,950 bridges have been completed from July 2016 to June 2021.
The Philippines’ Ninoy Aquino International Airport was awarded as the 10th Most Improved Airport Worldwide according to Skytrax’s 2018 World Airport Awards. Skytrax is an international air transport rating organization.
Moreover, 6.5 million jobs nationwide from 2016 to 2020 were created thanks to the BBB Program. – PTV News/PG – bny
