MORE BRIDGES across the archipelago, a video surveillance system for local governments as well as search-and-rescue helicopters are among priorities for consideration at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board’s first meeting for 2018.

“Unahin namin sa NEDA Board ‘yung in-approve namin sa ICC (The NEDA Board will start with what was approved by the Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee). The economic managers will still have to decide because there are… many comments on the projects,” NEDA Undersecretary Rolando G. Tungpalan told reporters on Thursday last week.

“Safe Philippines, tapos (and) bridges… 30-plus across archipelago, then helicopter acquisition ng coast guard — ‘yan ang priority,” he added.

The first phase of the Safe Philippines Project will set up 18 integrated operations and command centers for local governments, equipped with video surveillance systems and a remote back-up data center, worth P20.313 billion.

Meanwhile, the P11.369-billion Bridge Construction and Acceleration Project for Socioeconomic Development of the Department of Public Works and Highways will build 30 such structures across the country.

The NEDA Board is also expected to approve the acquisition of seven helicopters worth a total of P5.887 billion for procurement under the Philippine Coast Guard Maritime Disaster Response Project.

He added that the P1.23-billion additional financing for the Bohol Panglao International Airport will likewise be taken up.

The said projects were approved by the ICC in its meeting on Oct. 20 last year.

Mr. Tungpalan, however, said the schedule for the first 2018 meeting of the NEDA Board — which President Rodrigo R. Duterte heads — has yet to be determined.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia had said that he expects the NEDA Board to approve 15 new projects this year, after giving the green light for 14 in 2017.

Since the Duterte administration took over in mid-2016, the President had approved 36 new projects worth about P1 trillion.

The government aims to spend about P8.44 trillion on infrastructure until 2022, which is supposed to help boost economic growth to 7-8% annually starting this year, in turn generating more jobs to reduce the unemployment rate to 3-5% by that year from 5.5% in 2016 and cut poverty rate to 14% from 21.6% in 2015. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

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