‘Build, build, build’ push for WV seen to further ‘AmBisyon Natin’
NEDA highlights plans for Iloilo Int’l Airport revamp, Panay-Guimaras island bridge
ILOILO City – Part and parcel of what Socioeconomic Planning secretary Ernesto Pernia describes as the coming “golden age of infrastructure” in the country, billions of “build, build, build” projects will soon rise in Western Visayas, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Region 6.
[ f or Western Visayas] included in the 75 priority infrastructure projects,” said NEDA- 6 regional director Ro- an Bacal, in a press conference on July 14,
President Duterte’s Philippine Development Plan or PDP for 2017 to 2022, is the first medium- term plan anchored on the 0- 10 point Socioeconomic Agenda and geared towards “AmBisyon Natin 2040” – t he collective vision f or Filipinos, aspiring for a “matatag ( strong), maginhawa ( comfortable) at panatag ( stable) life” for all Filipinos in the next 25 years.
Embedded in the PDP are bedrock strategies that provide the necessary environment These include achieving peace and security and accelerating infrastructure development.
Bacal said that among the ‘Build, priority build, projectsbuild’ in theyWV hope to complete under t he administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is the P27 billion Panay- Guimaras- Negros ( PGN) island bridge project.
Also, included are the P 30 billion improvement of the Iloi lo International Airport; P 20 billion Silay Airport in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental; and the P 13 billion Pa nay River Basin Integrated Development Projects.
The P 11.2 billion Jalaur River Multipurpose Project( JR MP) I I in be pursued, Bacal said.
Other than these, they are also pushing for the widening of national roads, development of bus terminals, and improvement of ports, among others.
Chief economic development specialist Gilberto Altura said that these project are in the bidding process.
NEDA- 6 on July 14 launched AmBisyonthe PhilippineNatin Development Plan 2017- 2022 during “AmBisyon Natin” Road Show.
NED A assistant secretary Merci di ta Sombilla discussed the framework of the plan.
PDP contains the strategies that fall under the three pillars of“Malasakit” (enhancing the social fabric ),“Pagbabago” (inequality-reducing transformation ), and the“Patuloy na Pa g-un lad ”(increasing growth potential of the economy).
These are supported by cross- cutting strategies f or national security, infrastructure development, socioeconomic resiliency, and ecological integrity, which provide the bedrock for all strategies at work. (