The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), led by Undersecretary for Planning and Public-Private Partnership Services Maria Catalina E. Cabral, inspected on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, the ongoing construction of the 2.55-kilometer NLEX-SLEX Connector Road Section 2 spanning from España Boulevard to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila.

“We want to ensure that right-of-way and construction activities are right on schedule in order to provide seamless travel for motorists, most especially trucks coming from the ports at North Harbor as well as to improve the connectivity and traffic flow between the Southern and Northern part of Luzon and its surrounding areas,” said Undersecretary Cabral.

Presently at 66.64 percent completed, a total of 1.84 kilometer of 4-lane road have already been finished, including the on and off ramp at España Boulevard, while civil works for the entry and exit ramps at Magsaysay Boulevard are being fast-tracked for opening within the last quarter of the year.

When completed, NLEX-SLEX Connector Road Section 2 will link the España Boulevard interchange to the end of Manila Skyway Stage 3 at PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila.

The entire NLEX-SLEX Connector Road, which spans a total of 7.70 kilometers from the end of NLEX Segment 10 at Circumferential Road 3 (C-3) at Caloocan to the end of Manila Skyway Stage 3 at PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila, is a joint project between the Philippine Government thru DPWH and Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program.

“With construction activities on track for the final section, around 35,000 mixed vehicular traffic including heavy vehicles traveling per day from SLEX to NLEX will soon enjoy reduced logistical costs brought by shorter travel time from the current two (2) hours to just 20 minutes,” added Undersecretary Cabral.

Also present during the inspection were DPWH PPP Service OIC Director Pelita V. Galvez, DPWH Planning Service Director Alex G. Bote, NLEX Vice President for Tollway and Development Engineering Nemesio G. Castillo, PPP Service Division Chief David C. Galang, Construction Manager Engineer Ryan Mallari, NLEX Independent Consultant Alex Alcazar, and other officials and representatives from MPTC and NLEX Corporation.

Article courtesy of the Department of Public Works and Highways

San Miguel Holdings Corporation (SMHC) and the Pangasinan provincial government signed Thursday the joint venture and tollway concession agreements for the Pangasinan Link Expressway project phase one costing PHP34 billion.

In his speech, Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico III said the 42.76-kilometer expressway project, which will connect the province’s eastern and western parts, is a “game changer”.

“It will reinvent the transportation and enrich tourism landscape, prioritize accessibility of citizens to major towns and cities, magnify business and livelihood opportunities, multiply economic activities, build more infrastructures, facilitate province-wide travel, and protect our environmental resources in Pangasinan,” he said.

Once completed within the targeted four-year construction period, the first phase of the expressway is expected to shorten travel time from Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway exit in Binalonan town to Lingayen from 90 minutes to just half an hour or less, he said.

The first phase covers 6.9 kms from Binalonan to Manaoag, 11.30 kms from Manaoag to Calasiao and 22.17 kms from Calasiao to Lingayen, with a 2.39-km spur road in Calasiao.

Under the agreement, the province will be entitled to a 5 percent share in the toll revenue and commercial development revenues from the start of the concession period.

The provincial government is also entitled to the 30 percent of the earnings before taxes after the proponent has exceeded a project internal rate of return (PIRR) of 10 percent.

If the PIRR exceeds 12 percent, the province will have a 70 percent share in earnings before tax.

The SMHC submitted its unsolicited proposal to the joint venture selection committee in May this year.

In a press conference, San Miguel Corporation president and chief executive officer Ramon Ang said the design and plan for the expressway’s construction will begin once they have secured the right of way with the help of the provincial government.

“(The) project is worth PHP34 billion at no cost to the government, no government subsidy or guarantee,” he said.

“Kung ano pa pwedeng gawin dito sa Pangasinan, you have my word (na) gagawin ko lahat to support Pangasinan (Whatever needs to be done here in Pangasinan, you have my word that I will do everything to support Pangasinan),” he added.

Meanwhile, Department of Tourism Ilocos regional director Joseph Francisco Ortega said the road project is expected to attract more tourists to visit Pangasinan.

“The tourism industry in the province is ready for the influx of tourists,” he added.

Engineers and researchers from both public and private sectors showcased on Friday, October 20, 2023 the latest technologies in the construction industry in an annual symposium organized by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

DPWH Undersecretary for Legal Services Anne Sharlyne G. Lapuz, representing Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, led the 9th DPWH Research Symposium at the Ang Bahay ng Alumni, University of the Philippines – Diliman, Quezon City.

In her message, Usec. Lapuz highlighted the importance of research and maintaining high standards in realizing the Philippines' nation-building efforts and the need for safer and structurally reliable infrastructure in the country as emphasized by no less than President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in his message during the DPWH 125th anniversary last June 23, 2023.

Also present at the annual research symposium are Assistant Secretary for Planning Services Constante A. Llanes, Jr.; Bureau of Research and Standards (BRS) Director Reynaldo P. Faustino; Bureau of Quality and Safety (BQS) Director Jonathan L. Araullo; BRS Assistant Director Juliana D. Vergara; BRS Research and Development Division Chief Teodoro D. Viyar, Jr.; and past DPWH officials providing mentorship and leadership support namely former Undersecretary for Technical Services Raul C. Asis and former BRS Director Judy M. Sese.

According to BRS Director Faustino and Assistant Director Vergara, more than 200 guests and attendees from the DPWH, the academe, private organizations, other government agencies, and industry partners actively joined this year’s event.

On its 9th year, the DPWH Research Symposium with theme: “Innovative and Resilient Infrastructure” featured nine (9) selected studies on new methodologies and researches, focusing on road safety, as well as innovations for sustainable, resilient, and cost-effective construction materials.

A total of seven (7) research papers were presented by: Maccaferri Philippines Inc.; University of Santo Tomas/PGA-Earth Structure Solutions, Inc.; TIPCO Asphalt Group/Phoenix Asphalt Philippines, Inc.; Geobrugg Philippines Inc./Rebtrade International Corporation; BAS Infrastructure, Inc.; Omya International; and, University of the Philippines – Diliman.

The DPWH, on the other hand, through the BRS and Regional Office 10, showcased two (2) studies on the use of broken pavement as replacement in stone masonry for riverbanks and slope protection projects, and use of mortar sensor for the environmental monitoring of concrete structures.

The Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) and Panay-Guimaras-Negros Inter-Island Bridges (PGNIB) are expected to start their construction within the next two years, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan told senators on Tuesday.

For the BCIB, Bonoan said the detailed engineering design is almost complete and already set to be presented to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) within the week.

Meanwhile, he said the PGNIB's engineering design will undergo a rebidding process by next year.

"For Panay-Guimaras, the detailed engineering design is for, unfortunately, it's going to be rebid --the consultancy services for the detailed engineering design. But we are confident that we will be able to award by December this year and so that the detailed engineering design will probably commence by next year," Bonoan said during the Senate deliberation of next year’s proposed budget of the DPWH, assuring that by 2025, the BCIB's civil works can start.

"For Bataan-Cavite interlink bridge, we will be presenting this bridge project to the NEDA Board by Friday for their confirmation on the adjustment of the schedules. This is going to be financed by the Asian Development Bank. I think after the NEDA Board, then we will start to negotiate for the loan agreements for the financing of this bridge project. We hope that we can start bidding on the first quarter of next year," he added.

Bonoan was responding to Senator Mark Villar who was asking for an update on both projects.

Villar, a former DPWH Secretary, gave his full backing to the proposed 2024 budget of the DPWH amounting to PHP822.2 billion and praised the agency's performance, particularly in improving its disbursement rate and continuation of big-ticket infrastructure projects.

"I'd like to commend the DPWH for their efforts. [It's] not always recognized, but it's amazing... the accomplishments of this department," Villar said.

The BCIB project, which the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has estimated the cost at PHP175.66 billion, is expected to reduce travel time between the provinces of Bataan and Cavite to 45 minutes from the current five and a half hours.

On the other hand, the PGNIB is expected to cut travel time from Panay to Negros Islands through ferries from three to four hours to just less than one hour.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, headed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., approved on Friday several high-impact programs and projects amounting to approximately PHP269.7 billion.

In a televised briefing from Malacañan Palace in Manila, Balisacan said the approved projects include the PHP4.5-billion upgrade, expansion, operations and maintenance of the Bohol-Panglao International Airport.

"This unsolicited PPP (public-private partnership) project aims to increase the passenger capacity and improve the passenger experience at the Bohol-Panglao International Airport," said Balisacan.

The expansion project will increase the airport's capacity to 2.5 million passengers per year at the start of the project from the current two million passengers.

After the upgrade, the capacity will further increase to 3.9 million passengers per year.

"We expect this project to boost tourism and, as a result, generate more high-quality jobs," said Balisacan.

Balisacan said the NEDA Board likewise approved the PHP392-million Dialysis Center PPP Project for the Renal Center Facility of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.

The project aims to increase the number of active hemodialysis machines from the current 30 to 108 by 2029.

"This will enable the Baguio General Hospital to provide more affordable dialysis treatment to a greater number of chronic kidney disease patients," said Balisacan.

Aside from these, Balisacan said the NEDA Board confirmed the approval of the Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility’s second additional financing to improve and accelerate the delivery of infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs).

The Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility provides the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Transportation with a better mode for financing and conducting project preparation activities.

"The second additional financing will include more Infrastructure Flagship Projects or IFPs to its scope, allowing more IFPs to be implemented sooner," said Balisacan.

The total project cost is PHP13.08 billion, with PHP11.38 billion to be financed through Official Development Assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

The NEDA Board likewise confirmed the approval of the Green Economy Program which aims to build the capacity of both the national and local government units, and the private sector to mainstream and sustain green economy activities, enhance circular economy, reduce waste and plastic, and increase energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment.

The program will be financed through a PHP3.62-billion grant from the European Union.

To ensure the sustainability and maximize the economic benefits of previously approved infrastructure projects, Balisacan said the NEDA Board approved certain changes to the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge and the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

"The cost of the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) project will be increased to PHP219.3 billion from PHP175.6 billion, and the implementation period will be extended to December 2029," said Balisacan.

The project involves the construction of a 32.15-kilometer bridge over Manila Bay that will significantly reduce travel time between Bataan and Cavite from four to five hours to just 30 to 45 minutes.

Balisacan said the project is also expected to decongest traffic in Metro Manila since travelers going to and from either Bataan or Cavite passing through Manila could use the BCIB instead.

For the Cebu BRT project, the updated project plan will now include mixed traffic sections from Bulacao-Talisay, SRP-Talisay, and IT Park-Talamban.

Balisacan said there will be an increase in the number of stations and terminals, optimization of routes, and an overall increase in the number of buses.

The project cost will be increased to PHP28.78 billion from PHP16.3 billion, while the implementation period will be extended until the end of December 2027.

The loan validity from the Agence Française de Développement (French Development Agency) and the World Bank will also be extended until September 2027.

"With these approved projects, the Marcos Administration reaffirms its commitment to aggressively advance infrastructure development to attain our medium-term development goals of more high-quality jobs and better lives for all Filipinos," Balisacan said. 

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is tapping multilateral lender Asian Development Bank (ADB) to fund more transport infrastructure projects.

In a news release Friday, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the agency would continue to tap the ADB to open “opportunities for equitable progress and growth for business, investment, tourism and employment.”

“To achieve this program, we [must] undertake initiatives that address connectivity and efficient mobility,” Bautista said at the 3rd DOTr-ADB Coordination Meeting.

Data shows that there are nine agreements between the DOTr and the ADB amounting to PHP1.2 trillion that will fund transport infrastructure projects from aviation, railways and road sectors.

Among the ADB-funded projects are the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), the MRT-4, the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project, the EDSA Greenways Project, as well as the multi-sectoral Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility - Output 3.

The South Commuter Railway Project, which is part of the NSCR network, is ADB’s largest infrastructure financing in the Asia and Pacific region.

Meanwhile, the ADB has a total of 17 upcoming and ongoing contract packages with at least PHP187 billion in cost estimate.

Apart from funding, the DOTr also seeks the ADB’s technical assistance in terms of developing an all sectors lifecycle monitoring and evaluation framework, local tax experts and development of right-of-way acquisition manual for ADB-financed projects.

Bautista said the ADB-funded projects would help position the Philippines as a dynamic investment hub and an emerging gateway country to Asia.

“We are optimistic that the ADB would appreciate the investment prospects in the Philippines towards boosting the country’s economic growth and addressing the social needs of Filipinos,” Bautista said. 

The Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC) is pushing for the second feasibility study of the Sorsogon-Samar bridge after the initial study in 2019 found the project “not economically viable.”

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) 8 (Eastern Visayas) Director Meylene Rosales, the RDC vice chairperson, said Thursday the region’s highest policy-making body passed a resolution urging the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to include in its 2024 budget the conduct of another study.

The resolution signed on Sept. 18, 2023, also asked the NEDA central office to include the project in the infrastructure flagship projects list.

“It has been five years since the pre-feasibility study was undertaken and new technologies have emerged, while the continuing issue on congestion in the port of Matnog with adverse social and economic impact in Visayas and Mindanao persists and requires long-term solution,” Rosales said in an interview.

In 2019, the study found that the best alignment option was not economically viable at only 4.77 percent economic internal rate of return, which was 10 percent less than what is required by NEDA.

The study also concluded that the project is not technically feasible at an average water depth of 300 meters.

The Sorsogon-Samar project, with an estimated budget of PHP257 billion to PHP  PHP 766-billion, consists of three long-span bridges – Allen to San Antonio in Northern Samar, San Antonio to Capul in Northern Samar, and Capul, Northern Samar to Matnog, Sorsogon.

Other options include the construction of a submerged floating tunnel and a deep-sea tunnel.

For decades, roll-on roll-off (RoRo) ferries have crossed the San Bernardino Strait, carrying passengers and vehicles to and from Allen Port and Matnog Port in Sorsogon. With a distance of 28 km., the average travel time is one hour and 30 minutes.

Officials pushed for the long-span bridge link construction after members of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry raised the lingering issues of long queuing and congestion in Matnog port, delaying the transport of supplies from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has approved the catch-up plan to fast-track the PHP759 million Tacloban Airport passenger terminal building construction to ensure its completion by next year, an official of the Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC) said.

Meylene Rosales, regional director of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and vice chairperson of the E. Visayas RDC, said the negative slippage has been reduced to only negative one percent as of September and they are upbeat to see the project completion by March 2024.

“There is already an approved catch-up plan by CAAP main office. The negative slippage went down since there are deducted scope of work. There are activities under Phase 1 that are not needed. They would be better be part of phase 2,” Rosales said in a press briefing on Thursday.

Earlier, the RDC project monitoring committee received reports of 38 percent negative slippage of the airport, prompting the body to make the project a top priority for monitoring.

In a July 2023 report obtained by the Philippine News Agency (PNA), the CAAP said the delay was caused by an insufficient quantity of construction materials prompting the contractor to reduce its manpower.

The increase in daily planned accomplishments has also contributed to the delay, according to CAAP, an attached agency of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

CAAP proposed solutions that include maximizing the utilization of available materials to expedite concrete pourings and asking the contractor to deploy more workers.

The project which began on Dec. 5, 2020, was supposed to be completed on May 29, 2022.

Also attributing to the delay are the revisions in the passenger terminal building’s roofing, arch finishes and access ramp plans, which were only approved on September 19.

As of September 25, the terminal building is 57.13 percent complete, according to DOTr.

Meanwhile, RDC private sector representative for multimedia communication Buenaventura Go-Soco, expressed doubt that the project will be completed by March 2024.

“Now, the contractor must be wondering how he can meet the March 31 deadline. Based on his catch-up plan, he must do much more than he has done in the past. Maybe even triple. That's very difficult for him to do."

The government awarded the project to MAC Builders based in Ormoc City in a joint venture with ML Builders.

The Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban is one of the country’s busiest with 36 daily flights between Manila and Cebu.

The airport in the regional capital was ranked as the country’s 7th busiest in 2022 with 1,489,803 inbound and outbound passengers.

Named after Daniel Z. Romualdez, former speaker of the House of Representatives, the airport serves as the main gateway from Manila and Cebu to Eastern Visayas.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Thursday approved several high-impact initiatives, which include expediting the processing of infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) and the reconstitution of the NEDA Board.

In a briefing, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the NEDA Board chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. confirmed the proposed Executive Order that will expedite the processing of licenses, clearances, permits, certifications and authorizations for the IFPs.

"The primary goal of this proposed EO is to minimize, if not eliminate, delays in the implementation of IFPs. This EO will require all government offices, agencies, and instrumentalities, including LGUs (local government units), to streamline the standard procedure and requirements for the IFPs," he said.

Balisacan said the simplified requirements will be applicable to both pending and new applications within the NEDA Board-approved list of IFPs, as well as any additions to the IFP list.

The EO will also facilitate the electronic application submissions to the concerned agencies and LGUs, including the payments and issuance of receipts.

It also directs national government agencies to automate and computerize their databases, and mandates LGUs to establish business one-stop shops and to coordinate with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to adopt interoperable information and communications technology platforms.

"In line with this, the Anti-Red Tape Authority, or ARTA, in coordination with NEDA, shall establish a reporting framework to track agencies’ compliance," Balisacan said.

Balisacan further said the NEDA Board also approved the reconstitution of the NEDA Board Committee on Infrastructure (INFRACOM) to include the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the DICT as members of the committee.

The NEDA Board also confirmed the overall principles and general recommendations for the proposed national government-LGU cost-sharing schemes for financing infrastructure projects.

"This aims to delineate the roles of the national government and the LGUs, particularly in resource-poor areas, or where resources may be needed to carry out the devolved functions and shared between the national government and LGUs," Balisacan said.

He said the NEDA Board also endorsed the proposal to reduce tariffs on gypsum and anhydrite from 3 to zero percent.

These raw materials which are not produced locally are used in the production of plasterboard and cement.

"With the reduction in tariffs, we anticipate a decrease in production costs and an improvement in the industry’s competitiveness as we ramp up our infrastructure drive," Balisacan said.

Common Legislative Agenda (CLA)

In a separate statement late Thursday, the NEDA announced that the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) included 11 additional bills to the CLA of the 19th Congress to further advance the attainment of the social and economic transformation agenda.

The LEDAC, chaired by President Marcos, met on Wednesday and adopted the 11 priority bills to help achieve the development targets for government efficiency, national defense and infrastructure development.

These include the amendments to Government Procurement Reform Act; Excise Tax on Single-Use Plastics; Amendments to the Cooperative Code; Amendments to the Fisheries Code; New Government Auditing Code; VAT (value-added tax) on Digital Services; Rationalization of the Mining Fiscal Regime; Philippine Defense Industry Development Act; Philippine Maritime Zones Act; Open Access in Data Transmission Act; and Amendments to the Right-of-Way Act.

“The timely passage of these priority bills will bring us closer to building a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient society for Filipinos,” Balisacan said. By Anna Leah Gonzales

Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

Top officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) participated at the Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference (GICC) 2023 on September 19-20, 2023 at the Grand Inter Continental Seoul Parnas, Korea.

Hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport of the Republic of Korea (MOLIT) and organized by the International Contractors Association of Korea, the 2023 GICC was attended by DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, and Project Directors Ramon A. Arriola III and Benjamin A. Bautista of DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) operations.

The DPWH officials also participated at the high-level bilateral meetings with MOLIT Minister Hee-ryong Won and other world leaders in the infrastructure industry, creating a venue for more bilateral relations to be forged.

In its 11th year, the GICC being one of the largest Korean international conferences has been renowned for bringing to the fore some of the pressing issues in the infrastructure industry that need immediate intervention.

GICC serves as an efficient and helpful platform for government agencies, private companies, and multilateral development banks (MDBs) to come together to discuss infrastructure projects, policies, and development plans across countries, hence building and strengthening project partnerships, relationships, and networks.

The DPWH has established a long-time partnership with Korea that has emerged over the years as a powerhouse in infrastructure development.

Some of the Philippines' infrastructure flagship projects are funded through Korea Economic Development Cooperation Fund (KEDCF) – Korea's representative aid fund for Official Development Assistance (ODA) to facilitate infrastructure projects to developing countries.

Among the projects of DPWH assisted by KEDCF include the Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project (SPCR) in Northern Samar, which was inaugurated last July 13, 2023 by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. that is designed to improve travel time and boost the local economy in the province.

In addition, the 3.17-kilometer Panguil Bay Bridge Project (PBBP) that will connect the City of Tangub in Misamis Occidental to the Municipality of Tubod in Lanao del Norte is presently at more than 75% completion rate and targetted to open to vehicular traffic by first half of 2024.

The engineering services of the 32.47-kilometer Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges, a long-time dream project in the Western Visayas Region, is covered by loans from the Government of the Republic of Korea.

Currently under bidding with the Department, the scope of engineering services are preliminary design covering review of the feasibility study and preliminary and basic design; detailed engineering design including estimation of detailed construction cost; and procurement assistance.

Composed of two (2) sea-crossing bridges connecting Panay Island, Guimaras Island and Negros Island in Western Visayas Region, Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges Project will shorten travel time of commuters and motorists and transport of goods from Panay to Negros Islands through ferries/RORO of 3-4 hours to just less than 1 hour.

Meanwhile, a fact-finding mission from the national headquarters of Export–Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM) was in Manila last May 2023 and discussed with Senior Undersecretary Sadain pipeline projects for possible enhanced cooperation under Economic Development Promotion Facility (EDPF) which is a new ODA loan program of the Korean Government to cover financial gap for large-scale infrastructure.

The Korea Eximbank as an independent ODA agency has the mandate to operate and manage the EDPF including identifying pipeline projects, loan approval and signing loan agreements.

Pipeline projects initially selected for possible loan co-financing under EDPF and Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund are the civil works of 28.82-kilometer Lubao-Guagua-Sasmuan-Minanlin-Santo Tomas Bypass Road in Pampanga; civil works for Pampanga Integrated Disaster Risk and Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (IDRR CCA) – Stage II covering the Third River and Eastern Branch that traverses municipalities of Macabebe, Minalin, and Sto. Tomas; detailed engineering design and civil works of 10.6-kilometer Consolacion-Liloan Bypass Road with two (2) bridges and feasibility study of Lapu-Lapu Coastal Road in the Province of Cebu.

Last July 24, 2023, President Bongbong Marcos delivered the 2023 State of the Nation Address. This was held at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives in Batasang Pambansa Complex (or Batasan), Quezon City.

He was joined by Senate President Miguel Zubiri and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. President Marcos’ speech lasted for 1 hour and 11 minutes.

Here are some key points from the President’s speech that covers infrastructure projects, energy, economic development plans, and more.

India’s GMR Group has expressed interest in investing in the Marcos administration’s ambitious “Build Better More” Infrastructure Program, particularly in airport, road and energy projects, Malacañang said Friday.

This developed after GMR Group’s top executives made a courtesy call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on the sidelines of the 10th Asian Summit in Singapore, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement.

“GMR officials said they would provide long-term solutions to the Philippines, especially in infrastructure and energy,” Garafil said.

Marcos told GMR’s top executives that building major infrastructures is part of the administration’s economic agenda to advance the country’s development.

Impressed by GMR’s achievements, the President expressed hope that GMR could apply all its experiences and expertise if it pushes through with its plan to invest in the Philippines’ infrastructure development program.

“We’ve been trying, the reason, we go to this process, is that it is a major part of our economic program. Well, of course, Manila is the gateway, even regional airports we are starting to develop so that not everyone have to get to Sangley or Bulacan,” Marcos said, as quoted by the PCO. “Improve those airports, improve those facilities, roads, communication, then they can go directly there.”

He expressed optimism that GMR’s investment plan would materialize to assist his administration in the development of the Philippine airports, roads and energy infrastructure.

“And we want that, especially when it comes to travel, tourism, business travel, etc. We want it to increase as much as possible. I’m glad that you are looking at the Philippines,” he said.

GMR Airports chairperson Srinivas Bommidala told Marcos that he is responsible for the group’s international airports and energy, while his brother-in-law, Kiran Kumar Grandhi, heads the group in charge of strategy and finance.

“The group started in 1978 by Mr. GM Rao, my father-in-law, his father. And they have commendable businesses. In 1994, we went into highways. In 1999, when India privatized (the) airports, we build airport, six airports in India,” Bommidala told the President.

Leonides Virata, chief executive officer of Cavitex Holdings, said the Indian firm sees Sangley’s potential in resolving airport congestion issues in the Philippines.

Cavitex Holdings is GMR’s local partner and leads the consortium that bagged the Sangley Point International Airport Project.

The consortium is just awaiting government clearances before commencing ground works, Virata said, adding that the plan is to start the construction in Sangley, Cavite province next year and finish the runway in the next five years.

Other attendees during the courtesy call were GMR Group chairperson Kiran Kumar Grandhi, financial advisor to the Sangley Consortium for international investment in the Philippines Liu Chee Ming, Presidential Adviser on Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go and House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Aside from its interest in the Sangley airport project, GMR is one of the five potential bidders who bought bid documents as of Sept. 13 for the PHP170.6-billion Ninoy Aquino International Airport public-private partnership project.

GMR firm has spent 11 years in the Philippines, operating the Mactan-Cebu and Clark, Pampanga airports.

Founded in 1978 by Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, GMR Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate based in New Delhi.  It comprises several companies, including GMR Infrastructure, GMR Energy, GMR Airports and GMR Enterprises.

The group is a leading conglomerate in India, which also operates in Indonesia and Turkey.