Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has retained its International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 Quality Management System Certification after SOCOTEC Certification International conferred the agency's official accreditation on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at the DPWH Central Office in Port Area, Manila. "This certification attests that the management systems of all six (6) Bureaus, nine (9) Services, five (5) Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Clusters, 16 Regional Offices, and 183 District Engineering Offices of the Department nationwide adequately complies with international standards," said Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan during the awarding ceremony. "Imagine an organization with over 200 sub-offices having all its processes - technical and support, certified against international standards. This is a major milestone in the continual improvement of our service delivery and better customer satisfaction for our stakeholders", added Secretary Bonoan. DPWH was one of the first national government agencies that obtained ISO Certification. The agency has been ISO-certified since 2015, having met the ISO 9001:2008 standards for Ouality Management System. All Department offices were awarded with the latest version of ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System Certification in October 2017, which incorporated risk management to enable organizations to identify and provide a systematic approach to risk for more efficient quality management system. The ISO Certification resulted into improved service delivery brought about by the streamlined and improved processes of the Department. Present during the awarding ceremony were members of the DPWH Management Committee headed by Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain including Assistant Secretaries Ador G. Canlas and Marichu A. Palafox, Overall Quality Management System (QMS) Overall Head and Deputy Head, respectively; SOCOTEC Certification International Operations Manager Erwin F. Quinto, Program Director Maria Rosario A. Ablan for the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Harmonization of National Government Performance Monitoring, Information and Reporting Systems (AO 25) Secretariat; former DPWH Undersecretary Raul C. Asis who spearheaded the DPWH ISO journey seven (7) years ago; as well as heads of the DPWH Regions, Bureaus, Services, and Project Management Offices.   Article courtesy of Department of Public Works and Highways

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways Construction work on the Pampanga Delta Bridge Project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Masantol, Pampanga is now making a steady pace of progress. DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, in his report to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, said that the bridge is 88% complete despite disruptions on the advancement of work brought about by the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. The construction of the 270-meter bridge under the DPWH Bridges Construction Replacement Program (BCRP) 2 implemented by DPWH Unified Project Managent Office - Bridges Management Cluster (UPMO-BMC) is being carried out by contractor Eddmari Construction & Trading in joint venture partnership with J.H. Pajara Construction Company. According to Senior Undersecretary Sadain, the Pampanga Delta Bridge is a crucial component of infrastructure development that will promote economic growth in the Municipalities of Masantol and Macabebe in Pampanga and Calumpit, Hagonoy, and Malolos City in Bulacan. At present, these municipalities are exchanging trades through long routes passing Apalit, Pampanga, added Senior Undersecretary Sadain who together with UPMO-BMC Project Director Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes inspected the on-going bridge construction on Friday, September 9, 2022. The bridge project costing ₱566.6 million will stimulate investment and growth with better connectivity for Masantol and Macabebe which are known to be Pampanga’s center of aquaculture development, the fastest growing food-producing activity on the northern coast of Manila Bay having hectares of fishponds for shrimps, bangus, tilapia and crabs. The project involves the construction of concrete deck bridge made of five (5) spans of steel box girders supported by four (4) piers and two (2) abutments resting on bored piles of two (2) – 1.50-meter diameter at both abutments and six (6) – 1.80-meter diameter at piers. During the inspection, Senior Undersecretary Sadain witnessed the launching of one (1) segment of girder at span pier 3 to pier 4 using specialized construction equipment like floating crane. On behalf of Secretary Bonoan, I commend the team of UPMO-BMC headed by Project Director Delos Reyes with Project Manager Dina Lane O. Sagun, Project Engineer Joseph Ramoel B. Lofamia, and Materials Engineer John Christian T. Gaden for an immense project transformation despite work suspensions in the past at the height of COVID-19 pandemic with the sub-structures of the bridge, which represent piers and abutments fully completed and two (2) spans of steel box girders and half of span 3 which is part of the superstructure completed as well, said Senior Undersecretary Sadain. The estimated completion date for the project has been scheduled for September 2023.   Article courtesy of the Department of Public Works and Highways

Photo credit: Rappler  Around PHP2.5 billion have been allocated to modernize various airports nationwide and help generate more job opportunities in the country, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Thursday. Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said giving the Department of Transportation (DOTr) a total of PHP2.5 billion for its Aviation Infrastructure Program in the proposed 2023 national budget is in line with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s goal of improving transportation infrastructure in the country. “We fully support the directive of the President to give high priority to infrastructure development in our drive for growth and employment. Kasama po dito ang airports o mga paliparan sa bansa (These include airports in the country),” Pangandaman said in a press statement. Under the proposed 2023 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the DBM has increased the DOTr’s budget to PHP167.1 billion, higher by 120.4 percent from the PHP75.8 billion the agency received in 2022. The DOTr’s big-ticket railway and road transport projects will get the largest share of the proposed PHP167.1-billion budget for 2023, while its aviation modernization projects will also receive a significant amount of budget. The PHP2.48 billion allocated for the implementation of the Aviation Infrastructure Program will be used for the construction, rehabilitation, and improvement of various airports across the country. The airport projects include the modernization of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City, Laoag International Airport, Tacloban City Airport, Antique Airport, and Bukidnon Airport. Pangandaman said the proposed budget will also be used to finance the rehabilitation and improvement of other transport infrastructure projects in the aviation sector. “With pouring much-needed budget to improve and modernize our airports, we help fulfill President Marcos’ directive to Build, Better, More,” Pangandaman said. Tacloban City Airport would receive PHP1.42 billion, or bulk of the proposed budget for DOTr’s Aviation Infrastructure Program, Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr., vice chairperson of House Appropriations Committee, earlier said. Antique Airport, otherwise known as Evelio Javier Airport, would get PHP500 million, while Laoag International Airport would receive PHP445 million, Campos said. Campos said Bukidnon Airport and NAIA would get PHP80 million and PHP40 million, respectively. In the President’s Budget Message, Marcos emphasized the importance of infrastructure development in economic transformation, especially to propel the growth of the agriculture, trade, and tourism sectors. By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways Key individuals from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) attended the special briefing requested by the Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects of the House of Representatives. Upon instruction of DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain on Wednesday, September 7, 2022 provided a briefing to the committee members on the status of the country’s flagship programs and projects. This came after this new regular committee in the 19th Congress convened for its organizational meeting and adoption of internal rules of procedure physically presided by Senior Vice Chairperson Maria Carmen S. Zamora at Conference Rooms 3 & 4 of RV Mitra Building of Congress in the absence of Chairperson Congressman Claude P. Bautista. The Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects has jurisdiction over matters directly and principally relating to the identification, prioritization, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review of highly-strategic infrastructure programs and projects. Senior Undersecretary Sadain, Chief Implementer of Flagship Projects under the Build Build Build Program in the last eight (8 ) months of President Rodrigo Duterte administration, provided members of the committee present at the physical meeting and virtually thru zoom videoconference comprehensive information and status of the country’s flagship programs and projects. Recognizing that the backbone of an economy is its infrastructure, President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. has earlier declared in his first State of the Nation Address on July 2022 that the infrastructure program of the Duterte administration must not only continue but, wherever possible, be expanded to keep the momentum. Under the administration of President Marcos, the government aims to ‘Build Better More’ infrastructure as it intend to prioritize the construction of better farm-to-market roads and supporting irrigation development programs that will enhance agricultural production for food security; development of more roads leading to tourism destinations to facilitate revival, recovery, and resiliency of the tourism industry from the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic; and building of resilient schoolbuildings with comfortable and spacious classrooms towards the delivery of quality education, said Senior Undersecretary Sadain. Senior Undersecretary Sadain reported that there are about 119 infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) prioritized as game-changing urgently needed projects of national significance and considered subset of the Build Build Build program, the banner program for accelerating infrastructure development. Of the 119 IFPs implemented by 17 agencies, 76 are transport and mobility sector, 15 urban development sector, 11 water resources sector, three (3) power and energy sector, 10 information communication technology sector, and four (4) health sector. Five (5) of the 15 infrastructure flagship projects completed IFPs are under DPWH portfolio namely Bonifacio Global City-Ortigas Center Link Road Project; Binondo-Intramuros Bridge and Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge under China grant bridges; improvement of remaining sections along Pasig River from Delpan Bridge to Napindan Channel; programme for the support to rehabilitation and reconstruction of Marawi City and its surrounding areas; and flood risk management project (FRIMP) in Cagayan, Tagoloan, and Imus Rivers. In addition to completed IFPs are two (2) projects partially open or turnover for operation at the end of June 2022 with people now reaping the project benefits including the Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project in Eastern Visayas and Malitubog - Maridagao Irrigation Project - Stage 2 in municipalities in Province of Cotabato and Maguindanao while 10 more projects will be completed towards end of the year 2022. The meeting livestreamed on the official facebook page of the House of Representatives was attended physically by Congressman Nelson L. Dayanghirang, Congressman Joseph S. Tan, and Committee Secretary Ms. Cristina S. Sulaik. Other attendees are NEDA Assistant Secretary Roderick M. Planta; DPWH Assistant Secretary Constante A. Llanes Jr.; DPWH Project Directors Ramon A. Arriola III, Benjamin A. Bautista, Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim, and Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes, DPWH Director Randy R. Del Rosario, and NEDA OIC-Director Aldwin U. Urbina.   Article courtesy of the Department of Public Works and Highways

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Thursday met with the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) to explore possible cooperation for the development of infrastructure, water, and energy sectors. The Office of the President (OP), on its official Facebook page, shared several photos taken during Marcos' meeting with PSAC at Malacañan Palace in Manila. "President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. meets with members of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) to discuss how Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) can help the Philippines improve its infrastructure, water, and energy services," the OP said. Malacañang has yet to provide additional details about the meeting. Marcos, in his first State of the Nation Address, vowed to put a premium on various fields, including infrastructure, health and energy. Marcos held a series of meetings with the PSAC since he assumed the presidency on June 30. The PSAC, in its meeting with Marcos in August, sought the expansion of the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country to create more job opportunities for Filipinos. Following his meeting with the private sector, Marcos ensured that the revival of MSMEs is one of the administration's priorities. MSMEs comprise 99.51 percent of business establishments in the Philippines and employ around 63 percent of the country's workforce. Also in August, Marcos met with the PSAC to express his support for the plan to offer a "ladderized" program for nurses to strengthen the health sector and address the supposed "brain drain," or the departure of professionals from the country for better pay or living conditions. The proposed ladderized program that will be adopted by the national government is already implemented by the University of the Philippines (UP)-Manila and select local government units (LGUs). Under the program, UP Manila offers a two-year scholarship for midwives who come back to the community to serve upon course completion. Once they gain experience, they return to UP Manila to study nursing for another two years. In July, Marcos, who concurrently serves as head of the Department of Agriculture, also expressed excitement over the possible partnership with the private sector to improve the agricultural sector. The PSAC intends to regularly report to the President to provide feedback on what is happening on the ground and make recommendations on modern policy development. By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos

The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) -- a group composed of leaders of private companies involved in the infrastructure sector -- has expressed its support for the completion of ongoing and upcoming infrastructure programs of the Marcos administration. In a meeting with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in Malacañang on Friday, PSAC convenor and Aboitiz Group chief executive officer (CEO) Sabin Aboitiz agreed with Marcos to provide solutions to problems related to infrastructure, water, and energy through public-private partnerships (PPP). “I am encouraged by the focused and aligned collaboration taking place among the various participants in these meetings with the President. We are all keenly aware and in agreement to the issues that demand attention, and are equally determined to support the administration in finding the right solutions,” Aboitiz said. During the meeting, PSAC representatives recommended revisions to the implementing rules and regulations of the Build-Operate-Transfer Law to encourage investor confidence and strengthen the PPP governing board. Related to the water sector, it supported the creation of a new department and regulatory commission and implement a “vertical industry structure.” For the energy sector, it called for the expansion of coverage and full implementation of the “Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop” and supported the efforts of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. In the coming weeks, the group is set to meet again with Marcos to discuss the Tourism sector’s road map and recommendations. The President was joined in the meeting by Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, Socio-economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, and other government officials. Other PSAC members present during the meeting were Metro Pacific Investments Corporation chairperson and president Manuel Pangilinan, International Container Terminal Services, Inc. chair and president Enrique Razon, and San Miguel Corporation president and CEO Ramon Ang, among others. By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways Officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Finance (DOF) met on Friday, September 2, 2022 for the review of flagship infrastructure projects funded by Official Development Assistance (ODA). DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said that the review meeting with the DOF International Finance Group headed by Undersecretary Mark Dennis Y.C. Joven is in line with the DPWH goal of stepping up implementation of key infrastructure projects to support the government’s economic recovery and create the country’s foundation for stronger and more inclusive growth. Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan has earlier declared that the administration of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. will ‘build better more’ as it continues to build and complete flagship infrastructure projects that have been started and approved by the previous administration to boost the Philippine economy. According to Senior Undersecretary Sadain, several roads, bridges, and flood control projects handled by the DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations are financed by foreign grants and loans and passed on to the new administration in the advanced stage of implementation. Senior Undersecretary Sadain said that external sources of funds such as Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Korean Government’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), China ODA, World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the United Kingdom affirmed commitment to sustain infrastructure partnership with the Philippine government by providing support investments to bankroll numerous big-ticket infrastructure projects. The Japanese government thru JICA Philippines currently supports the Arterial Road Bypass Project, Phase Ill (Plaridel Bypass); Davao City Bypass Construction Project; Road Network Development Project in Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao; Programme for the Support to Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Marawi City and its Surrounding Areas; Cebu-Mactan Bridge (4th Bridge) and Coastal Road Construction Project; Metro Manila Priority Bridges for Seismic Improvement Project (Guadalupe and Lambingan Bridges); Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project, Phase IIl (improvement of remaining sections along Pasig River, Delpan Bridge to Napindan Channel); Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project, Phase IV; Flood Risk Management Project for Cagayan River, Tagoloan River and Imus River; Flood Risk Management Project for Cagayan De Oro River; and Cavite Industrial Area Flood Management Project. Projects covered by financing partnership arrangements with ADB, a multilateral financial institutions, are the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project; Emergency Assistance for Reconstruction & Recovery of Marawi (Output 2: Reconstruction and Development Plan for a Greater Marawi, Stage 2; Metro Manila Bridges Project (3 Bridges connecting Marikina City and Quezon City: Kabayani-Katipunan Avenue Extension Bridge formerly Marikina-Vista Real Bridge, Homeowners Drive-A. Bonifacio Avenue Bridge formerly J.P. Rizal-Lopez Jaena Bridge, and Marcos Highway-St. Mary Bridge formerly J.P. Rizal-St. Mary Bridge); Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge; and Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project, Phase I. Meanwhile, the Chinese government through a bilateral loan agreement and/or grant financing facility are involved in the following projects: Metro Manila Logistics Network - China-Grant Bridges: Binondo-Intramuros and Estrella-Pantaleon Bridges; Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge; Priority Bridges crossing Pasig-Marikina River and Manggahan Floodway Bridges Construction Project (3 Bridges: North & South Harbor Bridge, Palanca-Villegas Bridge, and Eastbank-Westbank Bridge); Panglao-Tagbilaran City Offshore Bridge Connector; Davao City Expressway; and Ambal-Simuay River and Rio Grande de Mindanao River Flood Control and Riverbank Protection Project. Under Korea ODA are the design and build for the construction of Panguil Bay Bridge; Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project; Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Measures in the Low-Lying Areas of Pampanga Bay; and Panay-Guimaras-Negros Link Bridge. Projects under Wold Bank and AIIB are the Metro Manila Flood Management Project - Phase I and Philippine Seismic Risk Reduction and Resilience Project while the United Kingdom is interested in financing the construction of three (3) long span bridges in the Province of Cagayan namely Alcala, Pinacanauan, and Solana-Bagay under Iconic Bridge Project for Socio-Economic Development, Phase I. The investments on these public infrastructure on various parts of the country will be the cornerstones way forward to recovery from the pandemic for sustainable development, added Senior Undersecretary Sadain. At the conclusion of the meeting, both DPWH and DOF strongly supports the holding of regular joint meeting on infrastructure development and economic cooperation to conduct implementation of ODA projects more efficiently and effectively. The meeting held at DOF Head Office was also participated by DOF Executive Director Helena B. Habulan; UPMO Project Directors Benjamin A. Bautista, Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim, Ramon A. Arriola III, Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes, and Soledad R. Florencio; and Project Manager Shirley O. Castro.   Article courtesy of Department of Public Works and Highways

 Photo: 24 June 2022 - Mr. Antonio Peñalver (Executive Director, Aboitiz Construction, Inc.) at the Philippine Infrastructure and Construction Club, Seda Hotel BGC [Photo by Marcelle P. Villegas] Last 24 June 2022 in Seda Hotel BGC, Philippine Infrastructure and Construction Club hosted their first face-to-face luncheon of the year with executives from Aboitiz InfraCapital and Aboitiz Construction, Inc. as their guest speakers. Mr. Jolan Formalejo, Vice President for Inventory Generation Group of Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC) and Mr. Antonio Peñalver - Executive Director of Aboitiz Construction, Inc. graced the event with their presentations and talks on their company’s achievements, ongoing and upcoming infrastructure projects, and best practices in the industry. Mr. Jolan Formalejo’s presentation is titled "Aboitiz InfraCapital: Industrialization and Investments in South Luzon". He began his presentation by reporting that 2021 is a banner year for AIC Economic Estates. AIC received a total of 9 honors, including the International Finance Real Estate Awards and Property Guru Property Awards for Best Industrial Developer in Asia. LIMA Estate was recognised as the Country Winner for Best Industrial Development. Mr Formalejo enumerated the significant numbers concerning Region IV-A – CALABARZON in terms of economic growth and number of investors, namely: 7.6% annual economic growth rate in 2021—the fastest growing region of the country 2.51% economic growth from CALABARZON-based industries P4.87B amount of foreign investment pledges for projects in CALABARZON for Q1 2022 1700 estimate number of foreign companies currently operating in the region 6.8 M estimated labor force in CALABARZON as of Dec 2021 1314 new infrastructure projects completed in 2021 alone with a total cost of P7.17B From his report, the CALABARZON Industrial Belt is host to several industries such as Manufacturing (Automotive, Electronics, Garments, Agricultural Products, etc.), Logistics, Healthcare, Construction, Energy and Tourism. Focusing on Batangas, the province is boosting its infrastructure projects with the help of the PPP Center. “This partnership will help decentralize Metro Manila by opening up more employment opportunities through the construction of additional infrastructure and development facilities in the region.” These projects include the Batangas International Airport, Batangas Port Development Phase IV, Batangas City Access Zone, Calamba-Batangas Railway Spur Line, and Batangas Regional Food Terminal. The Batangas Industrial Belt has a total land area of 316,581 hectares or 3,165.81 km². This is considered as CALABARZON’s industrial powerhouse. Batangas is the second richest province in the Philippines in 2020 in terms of net assets. “PEZA bats for the creation of more ecozones particularly in land-rich Batangas.”  The most prevalent industries here are the oil refinery, natural gas, processed food, gifts, housewares and wearables. 24 June 2022 – (Left) Atty Patricia A.O. Bunye is Senior Partner and the Deputy Managing Partner for Administration of Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia. She was the emcee of the event.  (Right) Mr. Jolan Formalejo, Vice President for Inventory Generation Group of Aboitiz InfraCapital [Photos by PICC] Mr Formalejo also talked about the Aboitiz InfraCapital Economic Estates, namely the MEZ2 Estate, LIMA Estate, and West Cebu Estate. These are “Industrial-anchored Estates complemented by Commercial, Residential and Institutional components.” LIMA Estate is in Lipa, Malvar, Batangas is 794 hectares. This is a PEZA-registered economic zone. The LIMA Central Business District is the first fully integrated CBD development in Batangas. LIMA Tower One is the first of 6 towers to be built in the LIMA Office Park Campus in 2022. On the sustainability at LIMA Estate, “Aboitiz InfraCapital is gearing up for the transformation of the LIMA Estate into a smart, next-generation economic center in the thriving investment hub of Batangas.” More on its infrastructure features, “fully complemented by a reliable infrastructure system, LIMA is supported by affiliates of the Aboitiz Group to ensure ease of doing business for our locators.” Another feature is having being a “PEZA and BOC One-stop Shop”. There is the convenience of PEZA and BOC offices located inside the park provides 24/7 service to LIMA Technology Center locators. This feature will enhance ecozone linkages with the local government, communities, businesses and other stakeholders. Aside from LIMA Estate, AIC’s other Economic Estates include the West Cebu Estate is in Balamban, Cebu and the MEZ2 Estate in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. West Cebu Estate covers 540 hectares, while MEZ2 Estate has a span of 63 hectares. In summary, Aboitiz InfraCapital Economic Estates today has 1,100 hectares of industrial business parks currently being operated; 60,000 sqm GLA for office buildings in Cebu, Makati and Ortigas; with a total of 90,000 jobs generated across Central Visayas and Southern Luzon; 200,000 sqm PEZA-accredited office spaces under planning; 100,000 sqm GLA (gross leasable area) of commercial retail spaces in Cebu and Batangas. “We continue to deliver innovative concepts translated to thriving fully-integrated industrial estates and commercial communities for 30 years, known for its deliberately planned, and purposely designed developments.” On the second part of the PICC Luncheon, Mr. Antonio Peñalver, Executive Director of Aboitiz Construction, Inc. gave a presentation about “ACI’s Best Practices in the Construction Industry”. Aside from AIC’s best practices in the construction industry, he discussed “how ACI is proactively transforming towards becoming a well-known and most trusted contractor in the country”. "We strongly affirm that as we drive towards expanding our operations and setting a national footprint, we have started to implement innovation programs that will continue this momentum throughout the rest of 2022". It is noteworthy to mention that last May 2022, Aboitiz Construction successfully finished the construction of another 69kV overhead transmission line project that consists of 37 electric poles of Lima Enerzone (LEZ) in Lipa City, Batangas. This project is part of a bigger move to strengthen the power delivery in Lima Estate. This is possible through a partnership between Aboitiz Construction and Lima Enerzone. Another objective of the project is to improve power reliability in the area. Another milestone for Aboitiz Construction took place on March 2021. The company completed the design and construction of Berth for one of the most modern container ports in the country, the Davao International Container Terminal (DICT) in Panabo City, Davao del Norte. “The construction of Berth has increased the turnaround time of loading of vessels. This means more vessels can now dock at the terminal to bring more produce and agricultural products in and out of the region, potentially creating demand. A total of 121 employees were hired for the said project and out of this number, around 72% were hired locally.”

Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista and Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian restart “negotiations for major transport projects” in a formal meeting at the Chinese Embassy in Makati City on Aug. 11, 2022. They also tackled three China-funded railway projects -- the PNR South Long Haul Project (North-South Commuter Railway), Subic-Clark Railway and Mindanao Railway (Tagum-Davao-Digos) that were terminated after China reportedly failed to act on the funding requests by the previous administration. (DOTr photo). The Philippines has resumed talks with China to renegotiate China-funded transport projects in the country, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced Sunday. In a press statement, the DOTr said Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian met in a formal meeting at the Chinese Embassy in Makati City on Thursday to “restart negotiations for major transport projects”. “The two officials discussed the resumption of talks for the major China-funded railway projects such as the PNR South Long Haul Project (North-South Commuter Railway), Subic-Clark Railway and Mindanao Railway (Tagum-Davao-Digos),” the DOTr said. To recall, these transport projects were earlier deemed “withdrawn” due to China’s inaction on funding requests by the previous administration. The DOTr said the Chinese government’s funding support for these projects will “strengthen bilateral relations and enhance the partnership between the Philippines and China.” In a separate statement, Huang described his meeting with Bautista as “constructive” and expressed hope that the two countries would accomplish more infrastructure projects in the railway sector. “[I] hope that China-Philippines cooperation in infrastructure and railway would achieve more tangible fruits and bring about more benefits to the Filipino at an early date,” he said. He also said China is committed to helping Southeast Asian countries in railway development. “China is also devoted to promoting the connectivity of the Southeast Asian countries by sharing its experience and introducing the cut-edging technology of railway construction and rolling stock manufacturing,” he added. China earlier said it has helped the Philippines complete 17 projects while more than 20 projects are under implementation or in progress. Meanwhile, Bautista and Huang also discussed several China-Philippines Maritime Cooperation Projects, particularly the hotline communication and legal affairs cooperation arrangements between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the China Coast Guard. Also discussed was a possible collaboration on Maritime Traffic Safety, Ferry Safety; a Memorandum of Understanding on Maritime Search and Rescue; as well as the capacity building for maritime governance, safety supervision, and vessels safety inspection.   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways The Korea Eximbank (KEXIM) Manila Representative Office, implementing agency of the Korean Government’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) Official Development Assistance (ODA) program in the Philippines, is keen on levelling up funding support to infrastructure development priorities of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). In his meeting with DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan and Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, KEXIM-EDCF Country Director and Chief Representative Jaejeong Moon expressed interest to support DPWH pipeline new projects to ‘Build Better More’, with the leaders of the two (2) agencies discussing ways of further strengthening the cooperation between Philippines and South Korea. The Korean Government intends to further increase the EDCF concessional loan assistance to the Philippines to fund development projects under the President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. administration. The EDCF provides assistance to DPWH-implemented flood control, roads and bridges and flood control projects managed by the Unified Project Management Office (UPMO). According to Senior Undersecretary Sadain, in-charge of ODA-funded projects, three (3) EDCF projects are on-going namely Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project in Northern Samar, Panguil Bay Bridge Project in Northern Mindanao, and Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Measures in the Low-Lying Areas of Pampanga in Central Luzon. Early this year, the Philippine government has also secured loan from South Korea to cover funds for the engineering services of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges Project, an interisland bridges project that will entails the construction of two sea-crossing, four (4)-lane bridges totaling 32.47 kilometers — including connecting roads and interchanges — to connect the islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros in Western Visayas, added Senior Undersecretary Sadain. The EDCF also provided a grant for the recently completed feasibility study of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project Phase II, which aims to construct two (2) bridges namely Laoang 2 Bridge (360-meter) and Calomotan Bridge (630-meter) including the upgrading of about 12.5-kilometer existing road from Laoang-Palapag Road Junction to Catarman-Laoang Road Junction that will connect the island of Laoang to mainland Northern Samar. DPWH is looking forward to the approval of submitted final feasibility study report to National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board and the subsequent endorsement of the project to KEXIM for funding of the detailed engineering design and civil works for its construction. Other Korea-funded ODA feasibility studies discussed during the meeting includes Philippines-Korea Project Preparation Facility for Lubao-Guagua-Sasmuan-Minalin-Santo Tomas Bypass Road (30 km), Mount Kitanglad Range Belt Road (108 km), Capas-Botolan Road (38.4km), and Lubao-Guagua-Sasmuan-Minalin-Santo Tomas Bypass Rd., Section 4: Minalin (Bulac)-Sasmuan Viaduct (7 km); Maasin City Coastal Bypass Road; Iconic Bohol-Leyte Bridge Project; and Integrated Flood Management Master Plan of Lower Pampanga River Basin covering Pampanga Delta Development Project Phase II and Central Luzon-Pampanga River Floodway Flood Control Project. The meeting held August 12, 2022 at the DPWH Central Office was also participated by UPMO Project Directors Ramon A. Arriola III, Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim, and Benjamin A. Bautista; UPMO Project Manager Teresita V. Bauzon; and KEXIM Deputy Director Yunhak Lee and Program Officer Ana Labella.   Article courtesy of The Department of Public Works and Highways

Photo credit: Rappler - Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, Manila The government will build several bridges in Metro Manila to further improve mobility, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Tuesday. Secretary Manuel Bonoan said construction and development in the National Capital Region (NCR) will include “I think, five or six bridges, across the Pasig River.” “As far as the infrastructure program is concerned, we will continue with the construction of more bridges across Pasig River and Marikina River so that the mobility will be enhanced from north to south sectors because there are just but a few bridges connecting north and south sector,” he said at the post-SONA (State of the Nation Address) Economic Briefing held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. Apart from bridges, the government is also looking at constructing more expressways “that would be leading toward the other areas of Metro Manila.” “Right now, I think there are several expressway projects that are in line. There’s an expressway that is going to be developed in the eastern corridor of Metro Manila that will go through, Pasig, Cainta, and all the way to Bulacan,” Bonoan said. He said the extension of the South Luzon Expressway going to Lucena City and the Cavite-Laguna Expressway to Tagaytay City are underway. Bonoan said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced in his inaugural State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday that the “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) programs initiated by the Duterte administration will continue. “I reiterate today (Tuesday) the marching order of the President during his SONA that under his administration, the infrastructure development program will be pursued relentlessly. We will continue what has been started under the BBB program of the past administration and must not only continued but whenever possible, be expanded,” he said. “As the President said, the infrastructure program will be very vital to support national government efforts to push for the revival of the economy which has slumped due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the foundation that we will build upon as the President pronounced we must keep the momentum and aspire to build better more and faster,” he added.   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

An official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Tuesday said the Metro Manila Subway Project has reached 60 percent completion rate on procurement. “Metro Manila Subway is 33 kilometers (km) from Valenzuela all the way to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), around 17 stations. We expect to provide daily ridership from 400,000 to as high as 800,000,” DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez said during the post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) economic briefing at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City. He also gave an update on the railway projects based on four indicators—procurement, design, right-of-way (ROW) acquisition, and construction. Another big-ticket project is the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project, with both its Tutuban to Malolos and Malolos to Clark segments at 93 percent complete on procurement, while the Manila to Tutuban to Calamba segment is at 61 percent complete on procurement. “As to the detail and design, we're more than 70 percent complete, and as to ROW, it's 55 to 60 percent,” he said. The NSCR is expected to be operational by 2026 to 2027 and will run for 147 kilometers from Clark to Calamba. It will have 35 stations and is expected to have a daily passenger capacity of 400,000 to 700,000 daily. Chavez said the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Extension Project—which will extend the LRT-1 southward from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite—is at 69 percent completion rate on construction. “The 122 trains are there already, around 24 rolling stocks. The station developments are in place already, except Las Piñas to Bacoor,” he said. Meanwhile, the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), a public-private partnership (PPP) project with San Miguel Corp., is at a 61 percent completion rate on construction. Once complete, Chavez said the MRT-7 is seen to have a daily passenger capacity from 400,000 to 800,000. It will run for 22.8 km from northeast to northwest, have 14 stations, and will connect San Jose del Monte, Bulacan to the Common Station in Quezon City. To date, Chavez said the common station, or the Unified Grand Central Station, is expected to be completed by “the second quarter of 2023.” Designed to connect the LRT-1, MRT-3, MRT-7, and the Metro Manila Subway with access to road transport, he said the station is expected to serve “at least 150, passengers daily.” In addition to these projects in Luzon, he reiterated President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s desire to complete the Cebu Railway System, the Panay Railway Project, and the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP). The MRP, he said, is to be “resubmitted” to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) “in the coming weeks” for funding reapproval. “The intention is to continue whether we're going to PPP or ODA (official development assistance), we will leave it to the Department of Finance, NEDA, and the economic team of the President,” he said. He said while the Panay Railway Project is not “in the master plan,” he said at least five railway projects have been identified for development in the Visayas. “Good news for Cebu, because in the master plan of rail transport from 2018 to 2019 there are five railway projects identified for development in the Visayas, in particular in Cebu province,” he said. On Monday, Marcos in his first SONA announced his administration’s desire to continue the “Build, Build, Build” program of the previous administration and other projects such as the Panay Railway Project and the Cebu Railway System. The 12 railway projects have a combined cost of PHP1.9 trillion and are at various stages of implementation. Marcos noted that the infrastructure development spending of the country will be sustained at 5 percent of the gross domestic product in addition to making use of PPPs.   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

Photo: The government will review other funding options for several major railway projects that were proposed to be financed by China. Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the Japanese government, the World Bank, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are among the options to finance the projects. (PNA file photo) The government will review funding proposals and options for several infrastructure projects previously eyed to be financed by China. “We will revisit. At saka (and we will) we will resubmit it to NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) just in case,” Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno told journalists after the post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) Philippine economic briefing in Pasay City on Tuesday. Transportation Undersecretary Cesar Chavez earlier said the official development assistance loan deals for three major infrastructure projects have been considered “withdrawn” after the Chinese government failed to act on the previous administration’s funding request. The financial deals are for the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning for the Subic-Clark Railway project, the design-build pact for the Philippine National Railways (PNR) South Long-Haul Project, and the management consultancy for the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP).  The Department of Finance (DOF) earlier informed the China Eximbank that the loan applications would be valid only until May 31, 2022, or a month before the end of the Duterte administration’s official term.  Diokno said the government has other funding options for the said infrastructure projects, such as those from the Japanese government, World Bank (WB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).  “These are nice projects. These have been evaluated by NEDA and (these are) socially-worthwhile projects so we will just look for funding,” he said. Meanwhile, Diokno said the government will push for the implementation of other railway projects to boost the domestic economy’s recovery and growth potential.   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is inching closer to delivering the entire 30-kilometer Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) Project which is 96 percent overall complete to date. In his report to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain said that the first 18 kilometers of CLLEX from Tarlac Interchange at the connection of Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) in Balingcanaway, Tarlac City to Guimba-Aliaga Road in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija will be extended with additional 11 kilometers by March 2023 to include seven (7) kilometers up to San Juan Interchange and four (4) kilometers to Umangan-Julo Road at the boundary of Aliaga and Cabanatuan City before Felipe Vergara Road and Daang Maharlika Highway. Undersecretary Sadain with DPWH UPMO-Roads Management Cluster 1 Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista inspected on Friday, July 22, 2022 the continuing works for the construction of four (4) lane expressway including interchanges, overpasses and underpasses from Aliaga Section to Cabanatuan Section whose progress were stalled in the past due to unworkable portions with problem in the acquisition of road right of way. CLLEX is part of the Luzon Spine Expressway Network which is aimed at reducing travel time from the northernmost part of Luzon, Ilocos, to the southernmost part, Bicol. Other than cutting travel time between Tarlac and Nueva Ecija, the partial opening in 2021 of CLLEX provided options to motorists and spread out traffic better resulting to reduce transportion costs, benefitting farmers of Central Luzon and Cagayan Valley Regions. “The CLLEX Project will support the country’s new vision for improving agricultural productivity under the administration of President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. Using this toll-free high standard highway, palay crops and other products from Nueva Ecija - the Philippines’ rice granary, including those coming from Region 2 can reach the market centers in Metro Manila much faster and cheaper”, added Undersecretary Sadain. Essentially an extension of the SCTEX and TPLEX, CLLEX will form an important east-west link for the expressway network of Luzon to ensure a continuous seamless traffic flow for the motoring public from Metro Manila and vice versa passing thru North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), SCTEX, and TPLEX. Once fully operational, the ₱11.811-Billion expressway is expected to shorten the usual travel time of 70 minutes between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City to just 20 minutes. With funding assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the expressway will also facilitate better access to economic hub and areas of employment in Region 3 such as Clark and Subic.   Article courtesy of The Department of Public Works and Highways

Photo credit: build.gov.ph China on Sunday said it is “negotiating” with the Philippines over the funding of some infrastructure projects after a Philippine transport official bared that these were deemed “withdrawn” due to Beijing’s inaction on funding requests by the previous administration. The Chinese Embassy issued the clarification after Transport Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez revealed that the Philippines scrapped its loan applications for three big-ticket railways— the Philippine National Railways Bicol project, Subic-Clark Railway Project, and the first phase of the Mindanao Railway Project— due to Beijing’s unresponsiveness to its loan application since 2019. Chavez earlier said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is looking at renegotiating the loans with Beijing or negotiating with other countries. In a statement, the Chinese Embassy did not directly mention the funding withdrawal, but vowed to “tap its own advantage and support the Philippines to improve its infrastructure.” “Our two sides have been negotiating technical issues and made positive progress to move the projects forward,” the embassy said. The embassy said “China is open for technical discussions over our G-to-G [government-to-government] projects, and is ready to carry our cooperation forward, in close communication with the Philippine new administration.” According to the embassy, China has helped the Philippines complete 17 projects while more than 20 projects are under implementation or in progress. “Over the past two years, Covid-19 has impacted implementation of some projects, hindering the site availability, causing delays of procurement, affecting goods mobility, and so on. Despite those difficulties and challenges, our two sides have worked tirelessly to push the projects forward and yielded rich outcomes, spanning from anti-pandemic response, disaster relief to infrastructure, agriculture, and other fields,” the embassy said. New era of friendship The Chinese Embassy described the phone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Marcos on May 18 and recent high-level visits as having ushered in “a new era of China-Philippine friendship.” “Governments of the two countries are dedicated to further enhancing friendship and mutual trust, adhering to good-neighborliness and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation. China’s policy towards the Philippines has always been and will continue to be consistent and stable as ever,” the embassy said. The Chinese Embassy expressed confidence that “continuity” would be secured in relations between two countries as well as the bilateral practical cooperation. “Looking forward, China will build on the past fruition and further our cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure, energy, people-to-people exchange, and other fields,” it added. Chavez said China's funding commitment for the railway projects was "deemed canceled" as China has been unresponsive to the Philippine government's loan application since 2019. He said the Chinese bank was asking for 3-percent interest on the loans, much higher than the 0.01-percent rate charged by Japan. By Azer Parrocha   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency