Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways Government agencies under the Build Build Build (BBB) program commit to push forward the implementation of high-impact infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) that will bring long-term benefits to the Filipino people. Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Acting Secretary Roger "Oging" Mercado, in his message during the 1st BBB Inter Agency Forum organized by Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, expressed confidence towards sustainability and continuity of priority flagship projects which will be the foundation of economic recovery from COVID-19 pandemic. As the designated Chief Implementer of Flagship Projects under BBB Program by President Rodrigo Duterte, Undersecretary Sadain spearheaded the review on the progress of various IFPs in order to ensure the expeditious execution and timely completion of flagship projects implemented by the Department of Transportation, Department of Health, National Irrigation Administration, Metropolitan Waterworks Sewerage System, Local Water Utilities Administration, Department of the Interior and Local Govt., Department of Information Communication Technology, Toll Regulatory Board, and Philippine Statistics Authority. As we gear up for a better approach in sustaining the implementation of infrastructure flagship projects, we seek to identify and address implementation and capacity gaps particularly in challenging environments as these holds the key to realizing the great vision of President Duterte for the BBB Program, said Undersecretary Sadain. In order to establish proper coordination and practical collaboration among agencies, the forum held on December 14-15, 2021 was also participated by Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary Rolando U. Toledo; National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Assistant Secretary Roderick M. Planta with his staff; DPWH Undersecretary Emerson L. Benitez; and DPWH Project Directors Benjamin A. Bautista, Sharif Masdmo H. Hasim, Rodrigo Delos Reyes, Ramon P. Arriola III and Johnson Domingo. The forum was a significant step for the designated BBB Chief Implementer to come up with a comprehensive report of the accomplishments for IFPs under BBB as well as the scale-up plans on infrastructure development for the remainder of the term of President Duterte and forward looking in 2022 to the upcoming change of administration. The event is also a very fitting opportunity for every agency to share its best practices and implementation journey, key issues/concerns and challenges, and provide plans and resolutions that can be applied to pipeline projects. Other than the COVID-19 pandemic and adverse weather condition as among the drawbacks in project implementation, other bumps identified/mentioned/discussed at the forum include regulatory environment issues, delayed procurement, difficulty in acquiring right of way, insufficient funds, and delayed financing approval.   Article courtesy of Department of Public Works and Highways

It’s all systems go for the Sta. Mesa Section of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) - South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Connector Road Project seen to cut to just 20 minutes the two (2) hours travel time between the two (2) expressways. Public Works Secretary Roger "Oging" Mercado, together with Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation President and CEO Rodrigo Franco, NLEX Corporation President and General Manager Luigi Bautista, China Road and Bridges Corporation (CRBC) Branch General Manager Ren Xiaopeng led on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 the ceremonial groundbreaking of the 2.75km Section 2 of the elevated expressway spanning España, Manila to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila. “This section will pave the way to connect NLEX and SLEX through the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, benefitting at least 35,000 motorists per day and boosting economic activities in Manila, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and the surrounding areas in the North and South”, announced Secretary Mercado. Secretary Mercado added that the 5-km Manila Section of the NLEX-SLEX Connector, which started in May 2019, is now 54.27% complete and is expected to be completed by the second half of 2022 while the Sta. Mesa Section will open by early 2023. NLEX Corporation, which operates NLEx and Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway, earlier signed an agreement with CRBC for the civil works contract of the elevated road that traverses portions of the Philippine National Railways right-of-way to provide a viable 24/7 route for truckers and an alternate route between NAIA and Clark airports. For its part, NLEX Corp President Luigi Bautista maintained their commitment to participate in the infrastructure development that supports jobs and business opportunities as well as pave the way for better services through the ‘Build, Build, Build’ Program. The groundbreaking and contract signing ceremony was also participated by DPWH Senior Undersecretary Rafael C. Yabut; DPWH Undersecretary for Planning, PPP and Information Management Service Maria Catalina E. Cabral; DPWH Public-Private Partnership Service Director Alex Bote; PNR General Manager Junn Magno and Assistant General Manager Celeste Lauta; Toll Regulatory Board Executive Director Alvin Caraullo; CRBC Marketing Manager Haiyan Mo; and NLEX Corp Vice President for Tollway Development and Engineering Nemesio Castillo and Chief Finance Officer Maria Theresa Wells.

Photo credit: Philippine News Agency The national government will ensure that the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) will be “partially operational” by the fourth quarter of 2022, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday. Duterte made this remark during a ceremony to unveil the new MRT-7 train sets along Commonwealth Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City. “We can proudly say that this new metric rail transit system which spans more than 24 km from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan is a world-class mode of transportation for the benefit of the people. The project is more than 60 percent complete and we are committed to make it partially operational by [the] 4th quarter of 2022,” he said in his speech. He noted that the MRT project will provide the public with a “fast, efficient, convenient, safe, and reliable” transportation system that would result to the increased productivity of workers and businesses in Metro Manila and its nearby provinces. Duterte said he is also pleased that the MRT-7 is expected to be a pollution-free mode of mass transit for commuters. “It is also good to know that this new train system will help minimize air pollution as it is a greener and more energy efficient means of transportation,” he added. He said the MRT-7 project is proof of his administration’s commitment to delivering long-lasting infrastructure development in the country amid the prevailing health crisis. "The arrival of the trains and the significant progress made on MRT-7 project confirm this administration’s strong commitment to pursue critical infrastructure projects even amidst the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic,” he said. Meanwhile, Duterte enjoined all government agencies to ensure the prompt implementation and completion of significant government projects while still upholding the transparency, integrity, and accountability in its operation. “Let us fulfil our promise and commitment to the entire nation to accomplish sustainable projects that will continuously improve the lives of Filipinos even beyond the term of the president,” he said. He also thanked workers of the officials and workers of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), San Miguel Corp. (SMC), and other partners for their role in making a new milestone possible. The SMC is the concession-holder for the project and is fully-funding construction of the 24-kilometer mass transit system that links up with the existing MRT-3 and Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) via a common station in North Avenue. The MRT 7 is a PHP77-billion project that started construction in April 2016. Currently, the project stands at 62 percent overall progress rate. A total number of 108 rail cars or 36 train sets were acquired from South Korea that will traverse 14 stations. It is expected to serve around 300,000 passengers in its first year of operations and will reach up to 850,000 passengers daily on its 12th year. The MRT-7 is a modern train system that also involves the construction of electric power systems, computer and communications system, signaling systems, and automatic fare systems, among others. Once completed, the MRT-7 will significantly cut travel time between North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan from two to three hours to just 35 minutes and will eventually contribute to the reduction of traffic in Metro Manila. The project also aims to decongest Metro Manila and make the commuting experience of passengers coming in and out of the Metro more convenient and comfortable. By Azer Parrocha   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency 

BYPASS BRIDGE. The proposed bypass bridge in Maasin City, Southern Leyte. It is four major infrastructure projects in Eastern Visayas that will be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the next two to five years. (Photo courtesy of DPWH) The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has identified four major infrastructure projects in Eastern Visayas that will be implemented in the next two to five years. Long-term projects are the 15-kilometer (km) Samar Pacific Coastal Road (SPCR) project phase 2, construction of 700-meter Iconic Liloan Bridge, construction of 1.1 km Iconic Maasin Coastal Bypass Bridge, and the building of 23-km Bohol - Leyte Link Bridge. In a report released by the DPWH on Wednesday, the SPCR include two long-span bridges with a total length of 1.4 km. The feasibility study is already completed and the project proposal is now under preparation for submission to the National Economic and Development Authority. SPCR project phase 2 will complement the ongoing 11.60-km SPCR phase 1 connecting the pacific towns from the Simora Junction in Laoang town, traverses to the remote villages of Laoang and Palapag towns. At 59 percent completed, the first phase 1 also covers the construction of three bridges. Meanwhile, the concept paper is now being prepared for Liloan Bridge while the Maasin Coastal Bypass Bridge is up for discussion with the Export-Import Bank of Korea. For the Bohol - Leyte Link Bridge, officials will revisit the Asian Development Bank-funded pre-feasibility study. The government has yet to come up with cost estimates for these four long-term projects. DPWH Acting Secretary Roger Mercado said in a statement that he has tapped the Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations headed by Undersecretary Emil Sadain to assist the regional office in preparing the construction of a stronger regional road network. “In my inspection, I saw the need for a significant upgrade of roads and bridges to improve connectivity and address problem of isolation especially in far-flung areas of the region," Mercado said. Mercado, who hails from Southern Leyte, identified the insufficient infrastructure as a major constraint to the economic growth and poverty reduction particularly in Southern Leyte and Northern Samar. By Sarwell Meniano

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways One year into the 37-month schedule, the on-going 10.7 kilometer Contract Package (CP) 1-1 of the Davao City Bypass Road Construction Project is heating up making significant progress. In his report to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Roger "Oging" Mercado, Undersecretary and Build Build Build (BBB) Chief Implementer Emil K. Sadain said that recent project site visit showed a workable area of about eight ( kilometers including the tunnel segment. The tunnel is an important construction component of the 45.5 kilometer Davao City Bypass Road Project. It is undeniable that implementation of most flagship infrastructure projects has been enormously interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, adverse weather condition, and among others. “I am glad that since the tunnelling works was launched and witnessed by no less than Secretary Mercado and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa last third week of November 2021, the excavated length for the north portal is already at 10 meters, complete with efficient and safe ground control elements of steel ribs support, rock bolts, wire mesh and pneumatically applied large-aggregate concrete or shotcrete”, added Undersecretary Sadain, in-charge of the DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations. Others who joined the project visit includes UPMO Projects Director Benjamin A. Bautista, Roads Management Cluster 1; Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim, Roads Management Cluster 2; Ramon A. Arriola III, Flood Control Management Cluster; Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes, Bridges Management Cluster; and Johnson V. Domingo, Buildings and Special Projects Management Cluster; and Bureau of Construction OIC-Director Aristarco M. Doroy. The construction of two (2)-tube mountain tunnel will be the longest road tunnel in the Philippines at 2.3 kilometer. Expected to provide considerable employment opportunities, Davao City Bypass Road Project will apply modern construction technique using some of the biggest pieces of construction machinery to build the twin mountain tunnels. Other than the tunnel, CP 1-1 awarded to Shimizu – Ulticon - Takenaka joint venture involves the construction of 4-lane road with a length of 7.9 km; 3 bridges including the 200 meters Davao River Bridge with on-going foundation works; 2 underpasses and overpasses; 12 waterways culverts; and 4 at-grade intersection. This contract package costing ₱13.230 Billion has an estimated completion date of January 2024. Davao City Bypass Road Project is divided into six (6) CPs namely the on-going CP 1-1, and CP 1-2 and CP 1-3 under procurement stage being financed by loan agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) while CP 2-1, CP 2-2 and CP 2-3 are to be funded by Government of the Philippines. The bypass road will slash travel time between Toril, Davao City and the northern Panabo City, Davao Del Norte to under 49 minutes from the usual travel time of 1 hour and 44 minutes via Maharlika Highway. Overall on-site construction supervision of the Davao City Bypass Project is under DPWH Project Manager Joselito B. Reyes and Engrs. Juan M. Diña Jr. and Earl Nicholas F. Rada with Nippon Koei – Katahira - Nippon Engineering - Philkoei as engineering consultants.   Article courtesy of the Department of Public Works and Highways

The construction industry is today the second least digitised industry in the world. This lack of digitisation costs the industry as much as US$500 billion a year, in rework alone. Companies in the ASEAN region are starting to realise the benefits of going digital and those who are succeeding understand how imperative it is. In an increasingly competitive and challenging industry, leveraging technology and the data it gleans makes the difference between those who win and those who lose. Two companies that have embarked on such a digital transformation are Makati Development Corporation (MDC) in the Philippines and Precise Development Pte Ltd in Singapore. Makati Development Corporation sees improved productivity and huge savings Ms Ginaflor C. Oris, Chief Financial Officer of MDC, defined the company’s digitisation goals as to “build a data-driven culture to ensure that digitisation becomes an important component of our bigger strategy of industrialising construction. And we wanted to reap significant and quantifiable improvements in our safety, quality, timely delivery, cost efficiency and sustainability operating metrics.” Before adopting Procore, MDC already had some digital platforms and was using various software. But the company faced difficulties in gathering data directly from the field and in generating reports real time or close to real time. This did not allow management to have better insights, leading to agile decision making – data was residing in separate silos. Procore’s integrated platform changed all that. The results for MDC were clear. “By implementing Procore in our construction projects, we saved over 2,500 man-hours from faster turnaround times. We significantly reduced some costs, and more importantly, improved visibility of information on the status of our projects for all stakeholders,” said Oris. “Last year we were able to successfully shift our budgeting process using digital collaboration – and we saved over 26,500 man-hours. I can't imagine our project teams going back to our manual way of doing things.” Precise Development drives better cost control and collaboration with technology In Singapore, Precise Development turned to automated construction technology to streamline their workflow and quality assurance outcomes. This was a goal made more urgent by the global health crisis. Ongoing site lockdowns meant Precise had to counter increasing costs in materials and labour with significant workforce and administration time savings. Precise Development was an early adopter of Procore Project Management and Quality and Safety. The goal was to improve the flow within design and build projects initially. However, Procore's ability to generate time and resource savings for Precise Development paid off as the company faced the challenges and disruptions brought upon by COVID-19. The transparent collaboration and multiple-party communication process significantly improved project management tasks for all stakeholders. “As we specialise in design and build projects, we are often still finalising a lot of design while building. Tracking and managing these elements, plus material and labour costs – and Singapore is very expensive in both – in this environment via Procore is key,” said Mr. Kelvin Lim, Architectural Manager of Precise Development.  “Everyone can rely on the data to help us replace site visits and face-to-face discussions with a safe way to communicate. With Procore, we have a transparent quality process. This places more emphasis on building right the first time and creating an accountability roadmap. It helps us track defects if we need to and remediate those with the right parties.” In addition, as Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is pushing for an industry-wide digital transformation, Precise Development is able to position itself as a construction technology innovator and compliance leader.  Lim said: “The BCA’s implementation of the ISO19650 standard is a crucial part of planning, designing and managing building projects more efficiently.  Our smart Procore construction technology ensures we meet the requirement to have a digital platform in place to streamline our workflow.” Procore improves collaboration throughout the construction lifecycle More companies within ASEAN are selecting Procore as their construction management platform of choice.  “ASEAN is a high-growth market, and we are looking forward to partnering with the industry to uplift its digital capability and provide value to all stakeholders in construction. We are here to enable the construction leaders to better manage the construction lifecycle with a construction management platform” said Tom Karemacher, Vice President, APAC of Procore. Learn how MDC has successfully kickstarted their digital transformation journey in this on-demand webinar on www.procore.com.

Construction of the 19 stations of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Calamba is set to begin in 2022. During a site visit at the PNR Balagtas Station, Department of Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John "TJ" Batan said construction works are set to begin as bidding for all nine contracts of the project is "almost complete." "The first six contracts are already undergoing Asian Development Bank's (ADB) review for concurrence, following which the contracts will be awarded and signed, and construction will very soon be mobilized," Batan said. The PNR Calamba is a 57-kilometer railway project and is the third and southernmost leg of the North South Commuter Railway (NSCR)--a big-ticket project under the Duterte administration's Build, Build, Build program. In total, he said the NSCR would be composed of 35 stations from Clark, Pampanga passing through the province of Bulacan and the National Capital Region (NCR) to Calamba, Laguna. By June 2022, he said the number of operational train stations in the country will increase from 61 to 87, while 92 stations will be under construction or have signed contracts. "The 179 railway stations operational, contracted, and ongoing construction by 2022 is a critical component of the DOTr's railway network expansion program because it is at stations that a railway becomes more accessible to the people," Batan said. In July, the DOTr said it received a "record-breaking" number of bids for the PNR Calamba both from local and international contractors. Once underway, the project is expected to provide around 10,000 direct jobs. By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency 

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has received from the JICA - Japan International Cooperation Agency latest masterplan for the development of High Standard Highway (HSH) in the Philippines. This is in support of the country’s effort to invest in high-quality infrastructure for improved national connectivity and accessibility. DPWH Acting Secretary Roger "Oging" Mercado, in his opening speech delivered by Senior Undersecretary Rafael C. Yabut, thanked the Government of Japan thru Emabassy of Japan to the Philippines Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko, and JICA Philippines Representative Eigo Azukizawa for the staunch support it has extended for the completion of the HSH Network Development Master Plan - Phase 2. The turnover ceremony of the masterplan at the DPWH Central held November 29, 2021 was participated by Undersecretary for Information Management, Planning and PPP Services Maria Catalina E. Cabral; Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations and Build Build Build Chief Implementer Emil K. Sadain; Undersecretary for Regional Operations in Luzon Roberto R. Bernardo; Undersecretary for Regional Operations in NCR, Region IV-B and the Visayas Maximo L. Carvajal; Assistant Secretary Ador G. Canlas for Regional Operations in Mindanao; and Planning Service Director Constante A. Llanes Jr. Economic Minister Masahiro Nakata of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines virtually joined the turnover ceremony of the masterplan. “We are grateful for JICA’s technical capacity and expertise in world class infrastructure for it is crucial not just in decongesting highly urbanized areas but also in achieving the 2040 National Development Plan of making the Philippines a prosperous country by investing in high quality infrastructure,” Secretary Mercado said in his read speech. Mr. Ryuichi Ueno, JICA Study Team Leader, presented the findings on the masterplan HSH Network Development Phase 2 aimed at expanding and updating the 2010 HSH masterplan conducted within the 200-km radius of Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao. The masterplan proposes the construction of 4,400 kilometers of HSH Class 1 composed of 406 km existing, 265 km under construction, and 3,279 km new highways to be implemented along major transport corridors across the archipelago; while about 4,600-km of HSH Class-2 (regional high standard highway) will branch off from the HSH Class-1 to provide connection to sub-regional centers, important ports and airports not covered by HSH Class-1. These projects were categorized into long-term, medium-term and short-term projects based on its implementation importance. Aside from the masterplan, JICA’s development assistance also covers the pre-feasibility study of four (4) important road and bridge namely Agusan Del Norte - Butuan City Logistical Highway in Region 13; Cebu Circumferential Road in Region 7; Central Mindanao Highway, Cagayan de Oro-Malaybalay Section in Region 10; and 2nd San Juanico Bridge in Region 8. With the completion of the master plan and feasibility studies, the Philippines is one step closer to building faster, safer, resilient, and environmentally friendly road transport network which support national goals of rapid, inclusive and sustained economic growth.   Article courtesy of The Department of Public Works and Highways

Last 28 October 2021, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) released a list of candidates for the National and Local Elections on 9 May 2022. A total of 97 individuals formally notified the commission and filed for candidacy to run for president. The list includes Senator Panfilo Lacson, Former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr., Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso, Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo, Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, Former secretary of National Defense Norberto Gonzales, and more. Although the election will take place next year on 9 May 2022, some presidential candidates have already expressed their plans for infrastructure and other strategies for nation-building. Some candidates have specific plans, while others gave their general thoughts and ideas on the subject matter. At this point, here are some of the initial statements of candidates.  

The infrastructure program anchored on the Build Build Build (BBB) initiative still remain among the top economic priorities of the government. With the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as one of lead implementing agencies of the BBB Program, Acting Secretary Roger "Oging" Mercado highlighted at the 2021 Philippine Economic Briefing with Foreign Chambers of Commerce held on November 26, 2021 that investments on infrastructure will be the key drivers in bolstering economic development to build a better post-pandemic economy. Under the leadership of Secretary Mercado, DPWH is committed to further accelerate the implementation of more projects to immediately create jobs, encourage business opportunities for local suppliers and contractors, and increase economic activity. “We will pursue equitable regional development by pouring investments for better connectivity roads and bridges in the rural areas”, said Secretary Mercado. During the virtual briefing, Undersecretary and Chief Implementer of the Build Build Build Program Emil K. Sadain provided greater insight of the DPWH flagship projects that are currently moving on the ground or in the pipeline of implementation nationwide, stressing the importance of these game-changing projects to steer and drive economic recovery and key facilitators to balanced development nationwide. Considering the multiplier effects of infrastructure to primarily fuel and be the cornerstone for growth recovery, local budget appropriations and foreign direct investments in the form of Official Development Assistance from multilateral financial institutions like Asian Development Bank, JICA - Japan International Cooperation Agency, World Bank, and Export-Import Bank of Korea and China aggressively provided support to the priority big-ticket projects with Investment Coordination Committee - Cabinet Committee and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board approval, said Undersecretary Sadain. Among the flagship projects are the 30 kilometer (km) Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) Project - Phase I; widening of 24.61 km Arterial (Plaridel) Bypass Road; improvement and maintenance of 1,088.23 km of arterial national roads under the Road Upgrading and Preservation Project; 45.5 km Davao City Bypass Construction Project including a 2.3 km 2-tube mountain tunnel; Marawi Transcentral Road with completed 18.78 km and on-going 18.97 km; 3.3 km Cebu-Mactan 4th Bridge with 4.9 km Mandaue Coastal Road; 37.60 km Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project; Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project with a total length of 230.22 km including the 540 meter Guicam Bridge in Zamboanga Peninsula and three (3) other bridges with a total length of 1.790 km in the Island Province of Tawi-Tawi; Emergency Assistance for Reconstruction and Recovery of Marawi covering 21.87 km of road including 1.6 km Malabang Viaduct, construction of three (3) bridges along Rorogagus Road, and five (5) other projects; 18.65 km Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project; 1.481 km BGC-Ortigas Center Link Road Project; 21 km Boracay Circumferential Road; 17.35 km Davao City Coastal Road; 2 bridges under Metro Manila Priority Bridges Seismic Improvement Project; 32 km Bataan - Cavite Interlink Bridge; 3 priority bridges with a total length of 2.99 km crossing Marikina River; 3.17 km Panguil Bay Bridge that will reduce travel time between Tubod in Lanao Del Norte and Tangub City in Misamis Occidental from 2.5 hours to just 7 minutes; 32.47 km Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges Project; 3.98 km Samal Island to Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project; 506 meter Estrella Pantaleon Bridge connecting Makati and Mandaluyong; and Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project Phase 4. Flagship infrastructure projects that are vital and have huge impact will see their continued implementation towards the next administration with advanced feasibility studies and other pre-investment activities, detailed engineering designs, government-to-government financing arrangement, and bidding process preparation, added Undersecretary Sadain. As the country’s engineering and construction arm and despite the challenging circumstance faced with the Covid-19 pandemic, DPWH kept its commitment in the development and implementation of projects with a July 2016 to September 2021 accomplishments all over the country of 31,977 km of roads constructed, maintained, widened, upgraded, and rehabilitated; 6,333 bridges widened, upgraded, rehabilitated, and strengthened; and 12,394 flood mitigation structures. The Philippine Economic Briefing with the theme, "Reset, Regain, Revitalize: The Philippines' Resurgence as an ASEAN Economic Powerhouse,” aims to update members of foreign chambers on the government’s initiatives to navigate the recovery. Other speakers who discussed the Philippine economic highlights and their respective agency programs and priorities are Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos S. Dominguez, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Banjamin Diokno, NEDA Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua, DTI Philippines Secretary Ramon Lopez, Department of Agriculture - Philippines (DA) Secretary William Dar, and Department of Transportation - Philippines Secretary Arthur Tugade.

 The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced the start this December 2021 of the detailed engineering design (D.E.D.) for the proposed Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project (LLRN). This after DPWH Acting Secretary Roger "Oging" Mercado with Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain; UPMO Roads Management Cluster 2 Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim; and Department Chief Accountant Mary Antoinette Z. Puno signed on November 22, 2021 the Consultant’s Services Contract for the D.E.D. of LLRN Project - Phase 1, a new road network at the western side of the Laguna Lake connecting Lower Bicutan, Taguig City and Calamba City, Laguna with a main alignment of 37.60 kilometers. This early, the millions of Filipinos are excited to witness and see how this new road project will change lives, said Secretary Mercado. The parties to the contract agreement to conduct the D.E.D. are Dr. Jovito Santos of Lead Consultant CTI Engineering International (CTII) Co., Ltd.; Junichiro Minobe of Chodai Co., Ltd.; Takashi Sato of Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd.; and Tenkoh Yoshida of Nippon Engineering Consultants Co., Ltd with CTII President & CEO Takahiro Mishina and DPWH UPMO Overall Project Manager for Asian Development Bank (ADB) Projects Soledad R. Florencio as witnesses. These companies are first ranked joint venture firm in the procurement on August 25, 2021 of Consultancy Services for the D.E.D.. The ceremonial signing of Consultancy Contract was also attended by Country Director for the Philippines Mr. Kelly Bird and Southeast Asia Project Officer Mr. Shuji Kimura of ADB; LLRN Team Leader Project Manager Zenaida B. Mauhay; Project Manager Sol Abasa; and other officer of Associate Firms Angel Lazaro and Associates International, DCCD Engineering Corporation, TCGI Engineers, and KRC Environmental Services. According to Undersecretary Sadain - President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s designated Chief Implementer of Build Build Build (BBB) Program, the start of LLRN D.E.D. is another significant development in one (1) of the Department’s flagship infrastructure projects. The LLRN Project will strengthen road transport efficiency towards Metro Manila and neighboring regions and will provide added opportunities to stakeholders - more jobs will be created; traffic will be decongested; movement of goods and services will be a lot easier; and so much more benefits, said Undersecretary Sadain. Under the contract agreement amounting ₱135.485 Million, the D.E.D. will be carried out for 15 months between December 2021 to February 2023. The D.E.D. will be funded by an additional financing of the ADB’s Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility (IPIF) under loan number 3886-PHI. Upon strong representation of DPWH-UPMO, LLRN Project was approved by the NEDA ICC - Technical Board on March 17, 2021, and by the NEDA ICC - Cabinet Committee on September 27, 2021. The project was approved by the NEDA Board through an Ad Referendum on October 18, 2021. The Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project - Phase I with a main alignment of 37.60 kilometer includes eight ( interchanges in Sucat, Alabang, Tunasan, San Pedro/Binan, Santa Rosa, Cabuyao, and Calamba. This two-lane primary road consists of 11.80 km viaduct from Lower Bicutan to Muntinlupa, and 25.80 km combination of onshore viaduct and embankment from Muntinlupa to Calamba. The project will also consider the planned developments introduced by various local government units along its proposed alignment. It will feature an additional one (1) lane in each direction from Sucat, Muntinlupa to Sta. Rosa, Laguna; a cycling track and promenade from Tunasan, Muntinlupa to San Pedro, Laguna.

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways  The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is working with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on a goal of achieving sustainable infrastructure development in the Philippines. DPWH Acting Secretary Roger "Oging" Mercado said that talks with ADB Country Director for the Philippines Mr. Kelly Bird has confirmed the bank’s commitment to provide continuing support to infrastructure development program and help facilitate the economy rebounds from the pandemic by accelerating job generation. The various on-going and proposals with high-impact potential for possible Official Development Assistance (ODA) in the Philippines were also discussed with the ADB executive by DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain also joined at the recent meeting by UPMO Project Directors Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim, Benjamin A. Bautista, and Ramon A. Arriola III. According to Undersecretary Sadain, President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s designated Chief Implementer of Flagship Projects under Build Build Build (BBB) Program, ADB has been a partner for the BBB initiative including the climate change and disaster risk reduction efforts. As a host country of its headquarters since it was set up in 1966, ADB remains committed to support the Philippines return to high economic growth this pandemic by ramping up investments in public infrastructure. On-going projects funded by ADB include the civil works for the P25.26 Billion Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project that covers the construction of seven (7) road sub-projects with a total length of 230.22 kilometers including the 540-meter Guicam Bridge in Zamboanga Peninsula and three (3) other bridges with a total length of 1.790 km in the Island Province of Tawi-Tawi. Under detailed engineering design (D.E.D.) and procurement stages is the ₱6.835 Billion Emergency Assistance for Reconstruction and Recovery of Marawi geared towards inclusive economic growth for Marawi City and its peripheral areas. The project components are the rehabilitation of existing 5.53 km Transcentral Roads and 4.71 km Mindanao State University Roads; construction of 6.86 km new Transcentral Roads with drainage; construction of 2.4 km Malabang Viaduct and 300 meter Rorogagus Bridge; replacement of three (3) bridges with a total length of 657 meters; three (3) main drainage channels with a total length of 3.49 km; and rehabilitation and slope protection on Marawi Bito Road. Under D.E.D. stage is the ₱12.028 Billion construction of three (3) priority bridges crossing Marikina River in Metro Manila. These are the Marcos Highway-St. Mary Bridge (formerly J.P Rizal-St. Mary Bridge), a new 2-lane pre-stressed concrete box girder bridge with a total length of 1,582.6 meters including the main bridge length of 325 meters; Homeowners Drive-A. Bonifacio Ave. Bridge (formerly J.P, Rizal-Lopez Jaena Bridge), a new 2-lane pre-stressed concrete box girder bridge with a total length of 691 meters including the main bridge length of 461,5 meters; and Kabayani-Matandang Balara Bridge (formerly Marikina-Vista Real Bridge), a new 4-lane pre-stressed concrete extradosed bridge with a total length of 723.2 meters including the main bridge length of 364 meters. ADB has also provided technical assistance for the Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility (IPIF) to deliver more effective and more innovative infrastructure projects. With a completed Feasibility Study under IPIF, D.E.D. is on-going for the proposed ₱175.656 Billion Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge connecting Mariveles, Bataan to Naic, Cavite with a total length of 32.15 km. Other pipeline projects with completed Feasibility Studies financed by ADB include the proposed ₱175.696 Billion Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project, a 51 km road network along Laguna Lakeshore connecting Lower Bicutan, Taguig City and Calamba City, Laguna; and ₱54 Billion flood risk management for the six (6) major river basins of Apayao-Abulug, Abra, Jalaur, Tagum-Libuganon, Buayan-Malungon, and Agus.   Article courtesy of the Department of Public Works and Highways 

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is ramping up efforts to improve the transport logistics and mitigate vehicular traffic congestion in Davao City with the construction of a 2.3 kilometer two (2)-tube mountain tunnel. A symbolic blast on Friday, November 19, 2021 officially started work on the road tunnel which is part of the 10.7 kilometers Contract Package I-1 of the Davao City Bypass Construction Project (DCBCP) implemented by DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations. The actual commencement of tunnel excavation works was witnessed by DPWH Acting Secretary Roger "Oging" Mercado, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa, DPWH Undersecretary for UPMO Operations and Chief Implementer of Flagship Projects under Build Build Build(BBB) Program Emil K. Sadain, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative Eigo Azukizawa. The short program, carried out under strict compliance to health policies, was also attended by Undersecretary Eugenio R. Pipo Jr. and Assistant Secretary Ador G. Canlas of DPWH Regional Operations in Mindanao, Embassy of Japan in the Philippines Second Secretary Matsubara Tomohiro, DPWH Region 11 Director Rey Peter Gille, Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista of UPMO Roads Management Cluster 1, former Project Director Virgilio C. Castillo, Mr. Fidel Arcenas of the Office of DPWH Secretary, and other Japan Embassy and JICA officials. According to Undersecretary Sadain, the tunnel project which will soon be the first-ever long-distance mountain tunnel in the Philippines was designed by Japanese experts to have better seismic resiliency. To support the underground development, equipment that includes horizontal boring machine for geotechnical investigation, twin header tunnel excavator and drill jumbo are deployed to work at the north and south portal. Additional equipment on the ground also includes erecter with shotcrete machine, tunnel ventilation and dust collector, side dump payloader, and articulated dump truck. The civil work contract for the construction of the tunnel was awarded to Shimizu – Ulticon - Takenaka joint venture with Nippon Koei – Katahira - Nippon Engineering - Philkoei as engineering consultant under the overall project construction supervision of UPMO-RMC 1 Project Manager Joselito B. Reyes and Engr. Earl Nicholas F. Rada. This contract package costing ₱13.230 Billion has an estimated completion date of January 2024. While construction of the tunnel is the centerpiece of this project contract package, there are other significant portions of the work as well. The contract includes the construction of a 7.9 km 4-lane road, 3 pairs of Bridges with a total length of 500 meters, 2 underpasses, 2 overpasses, 12 box culverts (waterways), and 4 at-grade Intersection. The 45.5 kilometer bypass road that will begin in Barangay Sirawan, Toril, Davao City and will end at Barangay J.P. Laurel, Panabo City will cut the usual travel time of 1 hour and 44 minutes via Maharlika Highway to just 49 minutes. Together with rapid population growth and economic development in recent years, DCBCP will provide job creation during construction, and economic benefits through reduced travel time savings across the city, said Undersecretary Sadain. The entire DCBCP is divided into six (6) contract packages with packages I-1, I-2 and I-3 being financed by JICA Loan Agreement Nos. PH-P261 and PH-P273 while packages II-1, II-2 and II-3 are funded by the Government of the Philippines.   Article courtesy of DPWH

The pre-construction works for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) at Camp Aguinaldo have officially begun on Thursday through a groundbreaking ceremony. During the event, Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Fidel Igmedio Cruz Jr. said the ceremony marked the beginning of the construction of 192 housing units, repair and rehabilitation of Warehouse No. 1 and supply unit, general headquarters and headquarters service command, and construction of the medical gas and manifold vacuum plant housing at Camp Aguinaldo. These structures and facilities are part of the MMSP’s Advanced Works Package 2 and are meant to replace or improve those affected by Metro Manila Subway in Camp Aguinaldo—where the MMSP’s Katipunan Station will be located. “This advanced works package will replicate and improve affected DND-AFP structures and facilities with similar specific purposes and functions employing modern design, technology, and materials,” Cruz said. The project package, he said, was awarded to and will be built by a local contractor, Specified Contractor and Development Incorporated. “'Yung packages MMSP 102 and 103 are about to complete procurement. That's why ito po 'yung advanced package para ma-clear 'yung right-of-way nung madadaanan ng train (MMSP packages 102 and 103 are about to complete procurement. That’s why this advanced package has commenced so that we can clear the right-of-way for the train service),” Cruz said. To date, he said the detailed designs for the MMSP are at 60 percent complete while the replication and improvement of affected facilities at the Veterans Memorial Golf Club—where the MMSP’s North Avenue Station will be located—is at 45 percent complete. In total, he said five DND-AFP properties would be developed to create “convenient access points and multi-modal transport plazas” for five subway stations. Some stations of the Metro Manila Subway System will rise on government properties, such as Camp Aguinaldo, to ensure that it is accessible to the riding public. In December last year, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana signed a right-of-way usage agreement for the MMSP. The MMSP is a 33.103-kilometer underground rail system traversing Ugong Valenzuela to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 and aims to accommodate up to 370,000 passengers per day by its first year of operation. 

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways Construction of the 3.169 kilometer Panguil Bay Bridge Project in Northern Mindanao is moving ahead, with bored piles for the piers and abutments halfway done. In his report to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Acting Secretary Roger "Oging" Mercado, Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain said that a total of 29 bored piles are already completed off-shore. The inter-island bridge project will require 54 bored piles for the 32 piers, two (2) abutments at Tangub City, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao Del Norte, and two (2) pylons of the main bridge. The ₱7.38 Billion Panguil Bay Bridge Project is one of the flagship infrastructure projects implemented by the DPWH - UPMO Roads Management Cluster 2 (RMC 2). The off-shore construction activities by Korean joint venture contractor Namkwang-Kukdong-Gumwang across Panguil Bay was inspected on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, by Undersecretary Sadain together with Undersecretary Eugenio Pipo Jr. and Assistant Secretary Ador Canlas of DPWH Regional Operations in Mindanao, UPMO RMC 2 Project Director Sharif Madsmo Hasim, DPWH Region 10 Director Zenaida Tan, and Project Manager Teresita Bauzon. According to Undersecretary Sadain, each of the completed bored piles are subjected to cross hole sonic logging test after 7 to 14 days of concrete pouring in order to ensure quality by assessing the integrity of materials used in the cast-in-site pile as well as load test to determine the safety factor. A three (3) meter diameter bored piles is made by producing bore holes with the use of reverse circulation drilling machines on barges followed by the launching of 23 millimeter thick permanent steel casing using revolving crane barges and vibro pile hammers, and until final concrete pouring. There are two (2) land and sea-based batching plants available for the project, each with supply capacity of 120 cubic meter of ready-mixed concrete per hour. To move the construction of bridge substructure as quickly as possible, one (1) bored pile is completed within an average period of seven (7) days with all the total requirements aimed for completion by first quarter of 2021, said Undersecretary Sadain. The bridge project that will provide convenient inter-island travel in the archipelagic topography of Northern Mindanao is funded by a loan agreement between the Philippine government and Korean Export Import Bank. Through the Panguil Bay Bridge, land travel between Tangub City, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao del Norte is expected to be reduced from two and a half hours to just seven minutes. The Panguil Bay Bridge will also shorten land travel from Cagayan De Oro and Iligan to Tangub and the northern Zamboanga Region. To date, the project has provided employment to some 200 individuals that despite the challenges of pandemic, are safely working at full speed. The manpower requirement is expected to reach 500 when the bridge superstructure activities begin in 2022.   Article Courtesy of the Department of Public Works and Highways