15 big-ticket infra projects lined up for loan financing

MANILA, Philippines - The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has lined up 15 big-ticket infrastructure projects for loan financing, three of which are planned to be implemented within the first three years of the Duterte administration.

To be prioritized in securing loans are the $53.6 million Chico River Pump Irrigation Project in Cagayan and Kalinga provinces the $374 million New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project in Quezon province and the South Line of the North-South Railway Project (NSRP).

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said China has shown interest in funding the NSRP, the extension of the North-South Commuter Railway Project  (NSCR) which will run from Malolos, Bulacan to Tutuban, Manila. The ¥242-billion NSCR is funded by official development assistance (ODA) loan extended by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and is scheduled to begin construction within the first semester of 2019.

Other projects pipelined for loan financing are the following: Rehabilitation and Improvement of the Zamboanga Fish Port Complex, Mindanao Railway, Nationwide Fish Ports Project- Package III, Ilocos Norte Irrigation Project, Regional Fish Port Project for Greater Capital Region, Gregorio del Pilar Impounding Project, Tumauini River Multipurpose Project, Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project, Asbang Small Reservoir Irrigation Project, Bohol Northeast Basin Multipurpose Dam Project, Subic-Clark Railway Project and the BGC-Ninoy Aquino International Airport segment of the Metro Manila  Bus Rapid-EDSA Project.