This column has taken note of and commented on large-scale billion-peso projects in the First District of Leyte. This started with several issues focused on what I consider to be the most economically significant project at this time, the Tacloban Airport Development project with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines as implementing agency. This project suffered bumps, like a delay of two years and cost increases due to the delays but is thankfully on track now.
I also computed the foregone income this region lost because of this delay. It was not a measly sum. It would have increased the region's economic production by a few percentage points. But that is water under the bridge.
P4-B Project … and More
CAAP has made corrections leading to the announcement of Pres. Bongbong Marcos a few weeks ago that this airport would become an international airport by 2026. That’s just two years away.
That’s a four-billion peso project.
But wait there’s more. There are other four to ten billion projects already funded or will soon be funded. Count the other projects like the causeway and road connecting Tacloban City proper to the Airport.
There is also a three-kilometer diversion road and flood control project from Palo to Tacloban. There is also a project that will allocate four billion pesos for improving the specialized buildings and facilities, including sufficient standby power generators, at the Eastern Visayas Medical Center.
Another ‘San Juanico’
The second multi-billion San Juanico bridge will be started late this year.
These projects represent an infrastructure blitz this district has never seen or experienced before, not even during the Presidency of Ferdinand Marcos. In this sense, the son broke his father’s record by a wide margin. .
It is a no contest.
The deluge of projects may be to critics just a tad too many and a bit too much, but it is not surprising and is therefore deserved. This district has been rarely given any importance in project funding over the last half a century.
It suffered a painful drought in funding for large projects. Yes, that is a long 50 years counting from the completion of the San Juanico bridge in the early 70s.
No President Listened
The Regional Development Council made many proposals. No President listened, If anyone did, it was far too little considering the need. With the widespread poverty in this region, although not in the first District of Leyte, it is about time this blitz occurred.
The economic and social effects of these projects will reverberate throughout the region.
There is so much funding, the DPWH had to hire contractual and Job Order employees to facilitate the preparation of plans so projects can be funded and implemented on time.
Some implementing agencies are not able to consume all the funds in the year these are supposed to be used for project accomplishments. It is akin to having an indigestion in the project pipeline.
Times Have Changed
But there are opposite experiences.
As I mentioned here last time, the Babatngon Port was started with nearly a billion pesos in funding when the Feasibility Study was not endorsed yet by the Regional Development Council.
I even learned that the flood control with road project budget was released when the plans were still revised and therefore not yet ready for implementation.
Times have indeed changed. We are in the age of opulence, of too much funding. Should we complain? For a district that has been very deprived despite being the location of the Regional Capital, this is not the time to complain.
It is a time to praise the President of our Republic and, certainly, Speaker FM Romualdez for fighting for this region in the Halls of Congress.Continue your efforts to help Eastern Visayas.
It has never been this good.
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