Hundreds of big Philippine infrastructure projects have gathered dust in the drawing boards of government planners. Every incoming administration drafts a design and work out the economics for bridges, toll roads, railway networks, airports and other civil works. But funding problems and oftentimes politics hinder the fruition of these infrastructure projects.
The Philippines, though, may get out of its lethargy and finally complete the job. Two large infrastructure projects of note are making progress, albeit slowly. If Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista is to be believed, the nation will witness at least the partial completion of two mega infrastructure projects—the Bulacan International Airport and the Metro Manila Subway Project—by the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term in 2028.
Mr. Bautista in a television interview with ANC television relayed the information that the land development of the P740-billion New Manila International Airport project in Bulacan being developed by San Miguel Corp. was almost 70-percent to 75-percent complete.
San Miguel, says Mr. Bautista, can start the construction of runways and the passenger terminal building after the completion of the land development phase by the end of this year, or the first quarter of next year.
The ambitious project will feature four parallel runways, a world-class terminal and a modern and interlinked infrastructure network that includes expressways and railways
Another huge infrastructure project that is slowly crawling its way underground is the P488.5-billion Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), which Mr. Bautista expects to be partly operational by 2028 and start full operations by 2029. Tunnel digging from Valenzuela to Quirino Avenue could be completed by the end of the year.
“We’re taking delivery of more tunnel boring machines which operate simultaneously, so that we will be able to finish the project by 2028 or maybe 2029. But we will try our best to complete it by 2028 or make it partly operational by 2028,” says Bautista said.
The 33-kilometer subway, dubbed as the “project of the century,” extends from Valenzuela in the north to NAIA Terminal 3 and the Food Terminal Inc. complex in the south of Metro Manila.
The subway is designed to interconnect with the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR)’s south segment. That will enable a passenger to board a subway train at the North Ave. station of MMSP and get off at the Calamba Station of NSCR.
The 147-km NSCR system, a flagship project under the Build Better More Program of the government, aims to seamlessly connect Clark, Pampanga and Calamba, Laguna, passing through Metro Manila and the towns of Pampanga, Bulacan and Laguna.
Once completed and fully operational, the NSCR project will not only provide quality commuter-train service but also contribute to the economic progress in Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces, said Transportation Undersecretary for railways Cesar Chavez. The project aims to reduce travel time between Clark and Calamba to just two hours and serve over 800,000 passengers daily.
The subway and the Bulacan airport are two significant game changers in the Philippine economy. The subway will greatly decongest traffic in Metro Manila while the Bulacan airport, hopefully, can lead to the creation of a smart city complex in the province, create economic opportunities and jobs, and slow down the migration of workers to the capital region.
But the infrastructure project that that has the most telling impact on the economy is the NSCR system. It will initially traverse the booming economies of Laguna, Bulacan and Pampanga. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out the many economic benefits of this railway system to the population residing just outside of Metro Manila.
Funding this project and right-of-way problems, however, may impede the progress of the NSCR. These issues must be resolved with dispatch given the interest it generated from foreign governments and financial institutions. The Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency and the governments of Indonesia and Australia are backing the flagship rail infrastructure.
Water infrastructure, social housing and renewable energy are the other civil works that will support the Philippines’ sustainable development goals. They should be lifted from the drawing boards and put into action.
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