ADB increases infra assistance for PH

THE Asian Development Bank’s increase in assistance for infrastructure and long-term investments is favorable to the government’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said.

“The focus on project investments for infrastructure over the next years is welcome. This makes us more optimistic that the Build, Build, Build program will be rolled out without delay,” Neda Undersecretary for Investment Programming Rolando G. Tungpalan said during the wrap-up meeting of the Country Programming Mission late in May on ADB loans and grants, for the Philippines from 2019 to 2021.

Tungpalan added that investment loans provide greater clarity in terms of results, costs and benefits, and time frame of projects.

Joining him in the meeting with ADB Philippine Country Office officials were Assistant Secretary Ma. Edita Z. Tan of the Department of Finance (DOF) and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Monetary Board member Felipe Medalla.

In its presentation during the meeting held at the Neda headquarters, ADB said in its lending pipeline of $945 million for 2018, there are two policy-based loans (PBLs) worth $600 million, one results-based loan worth $300 million, and two other projects worth $45 million.

ADB has been providing the Philippines policy-based lending in the form of budget support for structural reforms and development expenditure programs.

In ADB’s proposed lending pipeline of $2.47 billion for 2019, there are two PBLs worth $600 million and eight projects worth $1.87 billion.

For 2020, the total lending pipeline of $2.40 billion has two PBLs worth $600 million and six projects worth $1.80 billion.

On the other hand, the total lending pipeline of $2.10 billion in 2021 has two PBLs worth $600 million and seven projects worth $1.50 billion.

ADB-Philippines Principal Country Specialist Joven Z. Balbosa said the main features of ADB’s proposed operational support are responsive to needed infrastructure investments in the government’s Build Build Build program.

“As we progress from 2019 to 2021, we see that the projects are increasing in terms of numbers and amount,” Balbosa said.

“Our robust pipeline of projects and programs for the next three years from 2019 to 2021 reflects our seriousness to Philippine development,” Kelly Bird, country director of ADB in the Philippines, said.

Undersecretary Tungpalan said program loans will be guided by the Philippine government’s overall fiscal programming. For project loans, the Neda Board’s Investment Coordination Committee vets on the viability of proposed projects while the DOF assesses how these will be financed.

A memorandum of understanding on ADB’s pipeline of projects is expected to be signed in June by ADB and the Philippine government through Neda and DOF. NEDA