(File photo)
MANILA – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., has approved the changes in the implementation of two high-impact projects, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said Friday.
The approval was made in a meeting convened by Marcos at Malacañan Palace in Manila on Friday, Balisacan said in a press briefing.
Balisacan said the NEDA Board approved the negotiated parameters, terms, and conditions (PTCs) of the upgrade, expansion, operations, and maintenance of the Laguindingan International Airport Project in northern Mindanao.
“These PTCs were negotiated between the government, represented by the Department of Transportation and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, and the Original Proponent of the unsolicited public-private partnership (PPP) project,” Balisacan, who also serves as NEDA director general, said.
“Following the approval of the modified PTCs, this PHP12.75-billion project will now undergo the comparative challenge process following the rules under the newly enacted PPP Code,” he added.
Balisacan said prospective challengers will be given 90 days from the publication of the invitation for comparative proposals to submit their proposals, while the Original Proponent will be given 30 calendar days to match responsive comparative proposals.
If no comparative proposals are received, the project will be awarded to the Original Proponent by May 2024, Balisacan added.
Approved in July 2023, the Laguindingan International Airport’s expansion project aims to enhance regional development and promote tourism in northern Mindanao and its neighboring regions.
Adjustment in timeline, scope
Balisacan said the NEDA Board also approved the request to extend the implementation period and change in the scope of the Department of Trade and Industry's Rural Agro- enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth (RAPID) Growth Project.
He noted that the PHP4.78-billion RAPID Growth Project aims to support around 78,000 farming households by expanding on-farm and off-farm activities and generating employment opportunities in rural areas.
“The project seeks to support the growth and development of micro, small, and medium enterprises or MSMEs with strong backward linkages to farmers, and to provide them access to the needed capital to sustain their businesses,” Balisacan said.
“It will also create business partnerships between MSMEs and farmers to ensure a steady source of high-quality raw materials for the production needs of agro-enterprises.”
2023 PH dev't report
Meantime, the NEDA Board also discussed the 2023 Philippine Development Report, an evidence-based report which contains updates on the major programs, projects, and policies implemented last year.
Balisacan said the report, which will be made public by the end of January, evaluates the country's performance based on the outcome indicators identified in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 and tracks the progress of bills under the Marcos administration's legislative agenda.
“At the same time, the PDR is a forward-looking document that considers and anticipates both internal and external developments and scenarios. It identifies the lessons we have learned. These translate into urgent priorities and plans of action to ensure we remain on track to meet our goals by 2028,” he said.
“In summary, the Philippine economy generally performed well in 2023, though we recognize the magnitude of the challenges we faced and which continue to persist,” Balisacan added.
Balisacan said the report motivates the government to work harder to sustain rapid and inclusive growth, attract more job-generating investments, ensure food security and keep prices affordable, improve the quality of education, build sustainable communities, and ramp up digitalization efforts.
He said the current administration remains committed in attaining a full-year economic growth rate of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent for 2024 to generate economic opportunities, increase employment, raise per capita incomes, and elevate the economy to "upper-middle-income- country" status by 2025.
“The Marcos administration remains steadfast in carrying out its transformation agenda as we expedite the approval of game-changing projects and ensure that all of the government's programs and policies support our unified pursuit of a Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines),” Balisacan said.
“Despite the challenges, we will keep up in expanding our investments by ensuring that infrastructure development will get at least 5 to 6 percent of our GDP (gross domestic product) to sustain the momentum that we have already started.” (PNA)
