MANILA — Economic managers have approved three projects worth PHP71.35 billion, including a flood control project in Mindanao and a traffic-alleviating project in Metro Manila.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CabCom) last week approved the Ambal-Simuay River and Rio Grande de Mindanao River Flood Control Projects, and Manggahan Floodway, among the 75 flagship projects of the Duterte administration.
In a statement, the NEDA said the PHP39.2-billion Mindanao flood control projects would involve the construction of various flood management infrastructure, such as dikes and floodgates, along the Ambal-Simuay and Rio Grande de Mindanao.
Such river systems are parts of the Mindanao River Basin, the second largest river basin in the country.
The NEDA said the construction of the remaining 10 priority bridges crossing Pasig-Marikina River and Manggahan Floodway costing PHP27.37 billion aims to improve road transport network capacity and efficiency in Metro Manila by adding fix links and alternate routes.
The approval of the construction of the first two bridges –the Binondo-Intramuros and Estrella-Pantaleon Bridges– was earlier confirmed by the NEDA Board in September last year. The first two bridges worth PHP5.98 billion will be funded by a grant from the Chinese government.
The ICC-CabCom, which is chaired by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and co-chaired by Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia, also approved the Rural Agro-Enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth (RAPID Growth) Project.
The PHP4.78-billion RAPID Growth project of the Department of Trade and Industry is geared towards improving productivity of micro, small, and medium enterprises and making them competitive in the local and global markets.
The project intends to support 78,000 farming households by increasing on-farm and off-farm activities and generating employment opportunities in rural areas.
The three ICC-approved projects will be up for approval of the NEDA Board, chaired by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Further, the Cabinet-level committee also approved the increase in cost and the change in scope of the Integrated Marine Environment Monitoring System Phase 2 (PHILO 2) Project, and Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (IDRR-CCA) Measures in Low-Lying Areas of Pampanga Bay.
It also gave the green light to the restructuring of the Integrated National Resource Management Project (INREMP) of Department of Environment and Natural Resources. (Leslie Gatpolintan/PNA)
