PGMA's surge in infrastructure-spending gets P200 billion allotment in 2008 budget

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2008 | [ www.gov.ph ]


The surge in infrastructure spending ordered by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the Philippine economy's firewall from the slowing down of the US economy and other major worlds economies was supported by the 2008 national budget.

The President, in her message during the signing into law of the 2008 P1.227 -trillion national budget in Malacanang this morning, said some P200 billion has been allotted for infrastructure budget this year to serve as springboard to boost the country’s economic growth.

The infrastructure budget also included those from the government-owned and-controlled corporations and local governments.

Some of these projects were mentioned by the President in her July 2007 State-Of-The-Nation Address (SONA), most of which support the infrastructure needs of the super regions.

''Key components of our economic investments include key physical infrastructure projects across the nation to build up roads, bridges and ports,'' the President said.

These projects as enumerated by the President included the construction or repair of various roads and road networks or links in different places in Mindanao, the Visayas, the Luzon Urban Beltway and the Northern Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle.

These national roads include the Surigao-Davao, Davao del Norte-Bukidnon, Lebak-Maguindanao-Butuan-Esperanza in Agusan del Norte, Sibuco-Siraway-Siocon-Baliguian in Zamboanga del Norte in Mindanao.

In the Visayas, which is being developed as a tourism center, the construction of new airports and the rehabilitation and expansion of existing ones are underway.

These include the Sta. Barbara Airport in Iloilo, Caticlan-Pandan-Libertad in Panay, Bacolod to Silay Airport, El Nido-Rio Tuba in Palawan, Esperanza-Aroroy in Masbate and the Caramoan Peninsula road.

In the Urban Beltway, the C5 NLEX and SLEX-link and the Marikina-Infanta road; the Halsema highway, Bontoc-Tabuk-Tuguegarao and Tarlac-Nueva Ecija-Dingalan road in the North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle.

Other projects include the continuation of rail projects like the LRT Line 1 North Extension to close the commuter train loop in Metro Manila, and the construction of RORO ports and airports in North Luzon to support rice productivity and anti-hunger programs.

Farm-to-market road and irrigation projects worthP15 billion are also ongoing to ensure increased food productivity.

Other infrastructure projects are the completion of rural electrification, the upgrading of hospitals from primary to secondary and housing projects and the remediation works on NAIA3 to comply with international standards.

''Our central objective to create more jobs and grow our economy is to invest, invest, and invest,'' the President stressed.