Nine DPWH flagship projects due by 2028 test Marcos infrastructure push

By Adrian H. Halili and Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporters

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said nine infrastructure flagship projects worth P210 billion are on track for completion by 2028, setting a delivery test for the Marcos administration as it looks to revive growth and restore confidence after last year’s corruption scandals weighed on public spending.

Speaking at a House of Representatives briefing on Thursday, Public Works Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said the projects mark a key milestone under the administration’s “Build Better More” program, which places infrastructure at the center of its economic strategy.

“Another significant milestone that we have to mark here are the nine infrastructure projects for completion under this administration,” he said, framing the timeline as a benchmark for government execution before President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s term ends.

Several of the projects are either nearing completion or entering their final construction phase. Phase 1 of the Central Luzon Link Expressway, a 29.2-kilometer highway connecting Tarlac City to Cabanatuan City, carries a project cost of about P14.9 billion and is scheduled for inauguration by February.

The road is expected to cut travel time across Central Luzon, a major agricultural corridor, improving farm-to-market access and logistics efficiency.

Another project set for completion this year is the P25.3-billion Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project. Mr. Sadain said the program covers 152 road sections and about 20 bridge projects spread across Mindanao, aimed at easing transport bottlenecks in one of the country’s least developed but fastest-growing regions.

“It runs a total of 152 new roads and about 20 projects for bridges that are for completion,” he said.

Flood control, a recurring concern for Metro Manila, features prominently on the list. The Metro Manila Flood Management Project, which costs P24.9 billion, involves the construction of 39 pumping stations across the capital. Mr. Sadain said 16 pumping stations have been completed, while the remaining 23 are scheduled to be finished by 2028.

“This will play a significant role in mitigating flooding in Metro Manila,” he said, pointing to the project’s importance as climate risks intensify and urban congestion worsens.

Traffic congestion in the capital is also a focus of the P12.03-billion Metro Manila Bridges Project, which involves building three bridges across the Marikina River. The bridges are designed to decongest key road corridors by adding alternative routes between Marikina City and Quezon City.

“These are extra connectors that would link Marikina City to Quezon City,” Mr. Sadain said.

Beyond Luzon, two large-scale projects in Mindanao — the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge and the Davao City Bypass Construction Project — are slated for completion by 2028. Both are expected to support trade, tourism and mobility in the Davao Region, which the government sees as a growth anchor outside Metro Manila.

Other projects on the completion list include the Philippines Seismic Risk Reduction and Resilience Project, the Reconstruction and Development Plan for a Greater Marawi, and the Panglao-Tagbilaran City Offshore Bridge Connector, which aims to boost tourism and connectivity in Bohol.

While DPWH officials expressed confidence in meeting the 2028 timeline, right-of-way acquisition remains a critical risk. Mr. Sadain urged lawmakers to sustain funding for land acquisition to prevent construction delays.

“We don’t have much problem on potential delays, as long as we get the necessary allocations for the next two years to fund right-of-way acquisitions,” he said.

Under the 2026 national spending plan, the Public Works department has been earmarked P17 billion for right-of-way funding. Some lawmakers suggested devolving more responsibility to local governments to speed up the process. Rizal Rep. Jose Arturo S. Garcia, Jr., who heads the House Flagship Programs and Projects Committee, said local governments could acquire land faster if given the funds directly.

“Maybe we can fast-track this by providing funds to local governments,” he said in Filipino. “They will handle the right-of-way issues instead of the National Government,” he added, noting that acquisitions could be completed within six months.

NOT A DEVELOPMENT MEASURE
Still, analysts remain cautious. Rene S. Santiago, an international transport development consultant and former president of the Transportation Science Society of the Philippines, said the DPWH might struggle to deliver all nine projects on time amid lingering fallout from the corruption scandal.

“All of these projects started long ago,” he said in a Viber message. “Six of them might finally get to the finish line, for sure, but not all of the nine.”

The DPWH has been embroiled in a graft scandal involving officials and district engineers accused of colluding with senior lawmakers to siphon off billions of pesos earmarked for flood control projects. The controversy led to tighter procurement rules and slowed public works last year, weighing on economic growth.

Jose Enrique A. Africa, executive director of think tank IBON Foundation, said projects in densely populated urban areas are more vulnerable to delays compared with more straightforward projects in parts of the Visayas and Mindanao. He added that higher infrastructure spending does not automatically translate into broad-based development.

“While completing infrastructure is a test of the government’s project competence, it really isn’t a measure of national development,” he said in a Viber message.

Nigel Paul C. Villarete, a senior adviser at Libra Konsult, Inc., said the challenge lies in execution rather than planning. “Project development and execution is another thing, and this is where the gap emerges,” he said, adding that closing that gap would allow most projects to move forward.

The push to complete the nine projects comes as Mr. Marcos signals more infrastructure spending ahead.

After the seventh meeting of the Economic and Development Council (EDC) earlier this week, the President said more big-ticket projects are under review as the government seeks to spur investment and growth after last year’s slowdown.

The EDC, under the Department of Economy, Planning and Development, acts as a gatekeeper for major public investments. Approvals from the council are expected to unlock priority projects in the coming months, a move the administration is counting on as it sets 2026 as a turning point for faster delivery, stronger governance and renewed investor confidence.

The Philippine economy grew 3% in the fourth quarter, the slowest in almost five years and bringing full-year growth to 4.4%. This was way below the state’s 5.5-6.5% target for the year.

The Palace said the government is banking on fresh investment in technology, faster infrastructure spending and tighter governance to support growth this year.

“The administration is currently implementing measures to boost private investment in technology and other sectors, increase agricultural production, accelerate infrastructure development, pass priority legislation and strengthen good governance,” Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told reporters in Filipino via Viber.