An infrastructure dream

Traveling abroad and returning back home for most Filipinos almost always leads to a feeling of sadness that while our neighbors continue to progress, our country seems to move at a snail's pace in terms of infrastructure.

- MARIANNE GO

To be honest, the only excitement about infrastructure projects in recent years has been due to the private sector projects undertaken by Ramon S. Ang – the Skyway, the TPLEX extension, the takeover of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport's operation, and the construction of the new Bulacan international airport project.

Likewise, infrastructure projects by the MVP Group and the Aboitiz Group are the bright spots that the country can reasonably expect good progress on, although even such projects are constantly plagued by right of way (ROW) problems.

Government projects, on the other hand, well…we're still waiting for foreign counterpart funding, resolution of ROW issues (especially those involving illegal squatters), delayed project approvals, project revisions, a constant change of government overseers, and continued corruption.

At the recent Infrastructure Forum held by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines, I basically heard the same plans for the country's internet and infrastructure project from the new DICT and DOTr secretaries, but only with the update on the additional cost of completing their projects and nebulous completion targets.

I cannot help but feel sad that I may probably not see, nor experience, in my lifetime the Philippines attain the level of connectivity that our Asian neighbors have.