Marcos: Fast track Mindanao projects
Marcos instructed the Department of Transportation and the Department of Finance to collaborate on exploring financing options for the long-stalled 103-kilometer Tagum-Davao-Digos railway project
Mindanao is back in Malacañang’s consciousness days after former President Rodrigo Duterte threatened that Mindanao would secede from the rest of the country.
Political experts, however, attributed the statements of the predecessor of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as part of his practice of using hyperbole to drive home a point.
In a statement, the Palace said Marcos directed all government agencies to prioritize the construction of climate-resilient infrastructure amid the recent flooding in Mindanao.
In his speech after the signing of the civil works contracts for the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project in Davao City on Wednesday, Marcos highlighted the importance of adapting to changing weather patterns caused by climate change, noting that relying on outdated data is no longer sufficient.
In the same speech, Marcos instructed the Department of Transportation and the Department of Finance to collaborate on exploring financing options for the long-stalled 103-kilometer Tagum-Davao-Digos railway project, originally planned to be funded by loans from China.
The President emphasized the importance of completing infrastructure projects within the designated timeframe, adhering to specifications, and staying within budget.
“Thus far, this ambitious project has been stalled by lack of funding,” the President said, “so let us go and hunt for the right funding engine that will pull this project to the finish line.”
Additionally, he stressed the necessity for these projects to proactively consider various circumstances, especially those influenced by climate change.
“The infrastructure we are building must not only address past shortcomings but must also meet the present needs and anticipate future challenges,” Marcos said.
“Building for our children’s future requires infrastructure that can withstand the worst that the Earth’s rising temperature and increasing precipitation can throw at us,” Marcos added.
He stressed that ignoring climate change in infrastructure planning would leave the Philippines vulnerable to further disasters.
Marcos contended that the government’s effectiveness in serving the populace is hindered when it becomes bogged down by outdated data.
“We cannot build climate-resilient infrastructure for our children based on the rainfall and temperature records during our parents’ time,” Marcos said.
Expressing optimism about innovative financing models, Marcos pointed to examples where different project components were funded by distinct stakeholders.
He mentioned scenarios where civil works could be handled by private investors while rolling stock could be financed through official development assistance or ODA.
“There are some examples of ways we can explore different modes of financing to accelerate delivery,” he said, emphasizing the government’s responsibility for securing the right-of-way.
The President stressed the importance of “being in the driver’s seat of innovation” when it comes to transportation management.
He highlighted that modernization doesn’t always require expensive technology, citing walkable pedestrian lanes as an example.