First phase of one of the P100 billion infrastructure in Mindanao began, and will be the centerpiece of Duterte's "Build, Build, Build"

Cagayan de Oro, Philippines – Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3^rd, said, the National Government has allotted more than P100 Billion for five infrastructure flagship projects that will highlight Mindanao as the “centerpiece” of President Rodrigo Duterte’s “Build, build, build program.

Dominguez also stated this during a briefing with top economists and technocrats in Davao City on the first phase of the P35.26 billion railway project in Mindanao.

Further, he said the 102-kilometer Mindanao Railway Project, which is expected to be fully operational in 2025, would link the cities of Tagum, Davao and Digos.

This infrastructure program is more on construction of railway bridges which will connect the cities of Tagum, Davao and Digos, and is expected to finish and fully operational by 2025.

The upcoming projects are the P5.4-billion Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project Phase 2 in North Cotabato and Maguindanao, will service almost 10,000 hectares of land in a total of 56 war-affected areas.

Then the P4.86-billion Panguil Bay Bridge project that will connect Tangub City in Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao del Norte, for completion in 2021 and expansion and improvement projects of the Davao International Airport and Laguindingan Airport worth P 40.57-billion and P14.6-billion.

Dominguez added that the Mindanao projects are part of the P8 trillion worth of infrastructures that the current administration plans to implement in the next five years.

Dominguez said the projects will boost economic growth in the short term and support the development of a competitive economy in the long run.

He also said the government is aggressively financing new infrastructure projects for communities especially those areas ravaged by calamities and war like Marawi City.

“Under the government’s Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan, all government agencies are now involved in the rehabilitation of Marawi City,” the Finance Secretary said.

The goal of the Duterte administration’s development efforts for Mindanao and the rest of the country is to bring down poverty incidence to 14 percent by 2022.

According to a survey conducted by the US News and World Report in partnership with the Wharton School of Business, covering 6,000 business decision makers, has ranked the Philippines as the first among the best countries to invest and start business with today.

 Source: The Manila Times