The Build, Build, Build (BBB) Program is the centerpiece program of the Duterte administration which aims to usher in the “Golden Age of Infrastructure” in the Philippines.
The program seeks to accelerate public infrastructure expenditure from an average of 2.9 of the gross domestic product (GDP) during the Aquino regime to about 7.3 percent at the end of the Duterte administration. This will cost around P8 trillion to P9 trillion from 2016 to 2022 to address the huge infrastructure backlog in the country.
As the lead agency in the implementation of the BBB Program, Public Works and Highways Acting Secretary Roger Mercado pointed out that investments on infrastructure will be the key drivers in bolstering economic development in the new normal economy.
As the country’s engineering and construction arm, DPWH kept its commitment in the development and implementation of projects. From July 2016 to September 2021, the department has so far constructed, maintained, widened and rehabilitated a total of 31,977 kms of roads; 6,333 bridges that were either widened, upgraded or rehabilitated and 12,394 flood mitigation structures.
The ongoing flagship programs, which will be carried over to the new administration, include the 30 kilometer (km) Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) Project-Phase I; widening of 24.61 km Arterial (Plaridel) Bypass Road; improvement and maintenance of 1,088.23 km of arterial national roads under the Road Upgrading and Preservation Project; 45.5 km Davao City Bypass Construction Project including a 2.3 km two-tube mountain tunnel; Marawi Transcentral Road with completed 18.78 km and ongoing 18.97 km; 3.3 km Cebu-Mactan 4th Bridge with 4.9 km Mandaue Coastal Road; 37.60 km Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project and Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project with a total length of 230.22 km including the 540 meter Guicam Bridge in Zamboanga Peninsula and three other bridges with a total length of 1.790 km in the Island Province of Tawi-Tawi.
Other programs include Emergency Assistance for Reconstruction and Recovery of Marawi covering 21.87 km of road including 1.6 km Malabang Viaduct, construction of three bridges along Rorogagus Road, and five other projects; 18.65 km Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project; 1.481 km BGC-Ortigas Center Link Road Project; 21 km Boracay Circumferential Road; 17.35 km Davao City Coastal Road; two bridges under Metro Manila Priority Bridges Seismic Improvement Project; 32 km Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge; three priority bridges with a total length of 2.99 km crossing Marikina River; 3.17 km Panguil Bay Bridge that will reduce travel time between Tubod in Lanao Del Norte and Tangub City in Misamis Occidental from 2.5 hours to just 7 minutes; 32.47 km Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges Project; 3.98 km Samal Island to Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project; and Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project Phase 4.
The public infrastructure projects amounting to P2.5 trillion from 2016 to 2020 were accomplished under the leadership of Secretary Mark A. Villar, who, the agency noted, “has implemented almost threefold more projects than any administration in the last five decades.”
On top of these, the DPWH also built 770 We Heal as One Centers which include facilities for Mega Community Quarantine, Isolation, Off-site Dormitories and Modular Hospitals in response to the country’s Covid-19 mitigation process. The agency also completed 222 new evacuation centers that are now benefiting calamity-stricken communities and areas with high cases of Covid-19.
The Department has also completed 133 structures to enhance the capability and readiness of the military police under the TIKAS program (Tatag at Imprastraktura Para Sa Kapayapaan at Seguridad).
Meanwhile, a total of 150,149 classrooms were also built to aid public schools with classroom shortages nationwide. School workshop buildings were likewise built all over the country to assist students and teachers with a total of 949 buildings in Luzon, 464 buildings in Visayas, and 651 buildings in Mindanao. A total of 498 kilometers of bike lanes have also been completed Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao in accordance with the National Transport Policy (NTP).
Metro Manila Logistics Improvement Program
Highlighted in the DPWH performance report is the agency’s Metro Manila Logistics Improvement Program which includes the Edsa Decongestion Program. Built were 11 bridges for a total of 9,157 kilometers and 14 roads/expressways for a total of 121.8 kilometers. Leading the list is the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, the elevated expressway from Buendia, Makati City, to the Northern Expressway in Balintawak, Quezon City.
The Fort Bonifacio-Nichols Field Road (Lawton Avenue) project involves the widening of the 3.3 km Nichols Field Road from four to six lanes. Once completed, travel time between Slex and Edsa/C-5 will be reduced from an hour to 30 minutes.
BGC-Ortigas Center Link Road Project is composed of Sta. Monica-Lawton Bridge connecting Lawton Ave. in Makati City and Sta. Monica St. in Pasig City and the rehabilitation and widening of Brixton (corner Reliance St.) to Fairlane St. Lawton Ave.-Global City Viaduct. Kalayaan Bridge opened last June 12, 2012. Travel time between Bonifacio Global City and Ortigas Central Business District was reduced to just 12 minutes.
Luzon Spine Expressway Network (LSEN) Program
This 1,001 kilometers project is expected to reduce from the travel time from Ilocos to Bicol from 20 hours to just nine hours.
The Central Luzon Link Expressway is a 30 km four-lane expressway from Tarlac City to Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. Travel time between Tarlac and Cabanatuan is reduced from 70 minutes to 20 minutes and it beneftted 11,200 motorists per day from this completed project.
The two-phased Arterial Road By-Pass (Plaridel) Project, (Phase II & III) will reduce average travel time between Burol, Balagtas and Maasim, San Rafael in Bulacan from 69 minutes to 24 minutes. It will benefit 15,000 motorists per day.
Phase II includes the construction of 8.76 km by-pass road with three bridges (1,198.72 m) while Phase III includes the widening of the 22.46 km bypass road from two to four lanes including 10 bridges (1,459.34 l.m.), three flyovers, drainage facilities and slope stabilization works.
The completed Nlex Harbor Segment 10 connecting McArthur Highway and C-3 also reduced travel time from 1 hour to 5 minutes from Valenzuela to Caloocan City and is seen to benefit 20,000 motorists per day.
Travel time from Port Area to Nlex was also reduced from 60 minutes to 10 minutes via Nlex Harbor Link C3-R10 section. This link is seen to benefit 30,000 motorists per day.
Naia-Ex, Phase II is an expressway from the endpoint of Naia Expressway Phase I to PAGCOR Entertainment City. It provided access to Naia Terminals 1, 2, and 3 as well as an interface with the Skyway and Cavitex. Travel time from Slex to Naia was reduced from 1 hour to 20 minutes. This benefits 80,000 travelers per day.
The Manila Cavite Toll Expressway Project, C-5 South Link Expressway traverses R-1 Expressway to Slex/C5. Once completed, travel time from R-1 Expressway to Slex/C5 will be reduced from 40 minutes to 10 minutes.
The Mindanao Avenue Extension (Segment 2C) will connect the areas of Valenzuela, North Caloocan, Quezon City (Novaliches) and Nlex. Travel time between Quirino Highway and General Luis Road will be reduced from 1 hour and 30 minutes to 20 minutes once completed.
Southeast Metro Manila Expressway, C-6 (Phase I) connects the toll road from Skyway/FTI in Taguig City to Batasan Complex in Quezon City. Once completed, it will reduce travel time from Bicutan to Batasan from 1 hour 50 minutes to 26 minutes. It will benefit around 42,477 to 88,338 motorists per day.
Laguna Lake Highway is a four-lane divided highway with 3-meter-wide bike lane, lay-by, sidewalk, U-Turn slots, slope protection, the drainage system, street lights, and road safety devices. Once completed as scheduled on May 2022, travel time from Taytay to Bicutan will be reduced from 1 hour to 30 minutes.
Philippine High Standard Highway Network Program
Meanwhile, the Philippine High Standard Highway Network Program has completed 1,262 kilometer of road projects including Luzon Spine Expressway Network, Cebu High Standard Highway Network, and Davao High Standard Highway Network.
The Davao City By-Pass Construction Project includes the construction of a 4 lane–45.5 km highway (two lanes each direction), including two-2.3 km mountain tunnels, two Cut and Cover Tunnels (315 m and 130 m) at Cabantian Intersection and a 600 m underpass along Davao-Bukidnon Road Intersection. With this, travel time between Brgy. Sirawan in Toril District Davao City and Brgy. J.P. Laurel in Panabo City will be reduced from 1 hour and 44 minutes via Pan-Philippine Highway Diversion Road to 49 minutes via Davao City Bypass.
The Davao City Coastal Road is a 18.50 km project which involves the construction/opening/asphalt paving of a 23-meter wide 4-lane road (with Bicycle lane), with slope protection including the construction of bridges. Will reduce travel time from Toril to Poblacion from 45 minutes to 15 minutes.
Inter-Island Linkage/Mega Bridge Program
This project is composed of the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (32.15 km), Panglao-Tagbilaran City Offshore Connector Bridge (2.71 km), Guicam Bridge (0.54 km), 3 Tawi-Tawi Bridges (1.79 km), Panay-Guimaras-Negros Link Bridge (32.47 km), Cebu-Mactan Bridge and Coastal Road Construction Project (3.3 km), Panguil Bay Bridge (3.17 km), and Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge (3.98 km).
Scheduled to be completed in December 2023, the Panguil Bay Bridge project will connect the City of Tangub in Misamis Occidental to the Municipality of Tubod in Lanao del Norte.
Meanwhile, the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Link Bridge is composed of two sea-crossing bridges including connecting roads and interchanges that will connect the islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros. Travel time between Iloilo (Panay) and Buenavista (Guimaras) will be reduced from 45 minutes to 10 minutes.
Despite the pandemic, the current administration is determined to finish the majority of its infrastructure projects. By the end of the Duterte administration, the DPWH is expected to have accomplished 5,134 kilometers of road construction, rehabilitation, and widening; 1,859 bridge rehabilitation, retrofitting, replacement, and widening; 4,155 flood-control projects; 17,647 more classrooms, 186 school workshop buildings, and 99 evacuation centers.