The critical infrastructure imperative: Powering growth and resilience

As of last month, the Marcos Jr. administration has identified 207 infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) under the Build Better More program. These projects, whose cost amounts to P10.433 trillion, are intended to facilitate smoother trade flows, attract long-term investments, and support inclusive national development.

- VICTOR ANDRES C. MANHIT

Additionally, 49 of these IFPs have been declared open to public-private partnership (PPP) funding. They are in various sectors such as physical connectivity, housing, power and energy, digital connectivity, health, and water resources.

The IFPs that have been identified are complemented by the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), launched in April 2024 during the US-Japan-Philippines Trilateral Summit. The LEC serves as a platform to accelerate industrial development, enhance regional connectivity, and integrate the Philippines more deeply into global supply chains. It also links key growth centers through modern railways, roads, ports, and energy systems. The corridor provides a platform to expand trade, foster innovation, and generate quality jobs for Filipinos.

More importantly, the LEC reflects the government's vision of positioning the Philippines as a competitive, resilient, and reliable economic partner in the Indo-Pacific region. In August last year, the Department of Economy, Planning and Development listed 21 projects for the LEC, focusing on infrastructure development, modernization projects, and food production.

In an era marked by intensifying geo-economic confrontation, investment in modern transport systems, energy facilities, digital networks, and climate-resilient structures is not only a development imperative but a national security priority.

Let me cite a few of the commendable initiatives toward these objectives.