DPWH implementing 74 PBBM infrastructure flagship projects

PASIG RIVER REHAB. Infrastructure works are in full swing in Intramuros, Manila on Thursday (June 13, 2024) as part of the “Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli: Pasig River Urban Development Showcase Area,” which aims to restore the glory of the 25.2-km. body of water that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. The project, under the guidance of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, envisions a living river with safe walkways and bikeways along its banks, with greener surroundings, urban gardens, parks, commercial enterprises, and even regular transportation. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)

By Philippine News Agency

NEW CLARK CITY, Pampanga – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is now implementing 74 of the 185 Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs) of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Undersecretary for Planning and Public-Private Partnership Services Maria Catalina Cabral said.

Speaking at the recent Presidential Communications Office’s “Build Better More” Infrastructure Forum to showcase the progress of legacy projects and achievements in IFPs, Cabral presented the DPWH’s infrastructure accomplishments, future plans, and initiatives in “reshaping the country’s infrastructure landscape toward sustainable development.”

She said the DPWH’s projects include extensive road networks, bridges, flood control measures, and urban development initiatives geared toward “enhancing connectivity, fostering economic growth, and improving the quality of life for Filipinos.”

Cabral listed three DPWH completed infrastructure flagship projects– the Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project, the Flood Risk Improvement and Management Project for Cagayan De Oro River, and the Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Measures in the low-lying areas of Pampanga Bay Project.

She said 38 projects are ongoing while 33 are in pre-construction stages.

Under the DPWH’s High Standard Highway Network Development plan, Cabral said it includes building highways and expressways to connect strategic economic zones, tourism destinations, and production centers nationwide “seamlessly”.

The DPWH, she said, is prioritizing the enhancement of the 3,082-kilometer Maharlika Highway (N1), the main transportation artery of the country.

“DPWH is also implementing projects under the Inter-Island Linkage Bridge Program to ensure seamless connectivity among the Philippines’ three major islands,” she said.

She said the Metro Manila Logistics Improvement Program involves the construction and improvement of 11 bridges crossing the Pasig River, Marikina River, and Manggahan Floodway, while the DPWH’s Flood Control Management Program targets 18 major river basins and other critical areas vulnerable to floods are underway.

“The Philippines is on the brink of emerging as an economic powerhouse in Asia. By investing in these transformative infrastructure projects, we are not just building roads but also creating a pathway to a brighter, more prosperous future for every Filipino and bolstering a thriving, globally competitive tourism industry,” Cabral said.

The three-day forum was a comprehensive platform to promote the administration’s “Build Better More” Infrastructure program, to broaden the understanding of government communicators and media practitioners of the strategic framework and status and timeline of the infrastructure development policies and programs of the present administration.

The forum was participated in by more than 40 journalists from the tri-media sector and more than 70 government communicators from various departments and their attached agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations.

Among the departments which participated were the Department of Transportation, Department of Public Works and Highways, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Finance, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Health, and the Philippine National Police.

Among the GOCCs were Clark International Airport Corp., Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Bases Conversion Development Authority, Philippine Retirement Authority, and the Clark Development Corporation.