IDAVAO CITY, Philippines – Infrastructure projects in Mindanao have increased along with energy development on the way despite the political climate, says the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).
The agency made this announcement following the special summit of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asia Growth Corridor (BIMP-EAGA) during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Cebu last week.
Data provided by MinDA revealed that infrastructure projects nearly quadrupled from 57 in 2017 to 265 this year, with the Philippines having the largest share of 104, mostly concentrated in Mindanao and Palawan.
Such flagship projects can be found in transport and connectivity infrastructure, including the Mindanao Railway, Samal Island–Davao City Connector Bridge, Davao–General Santos City Road Improvement, and key airport developments such as the Laguindingan and Davao International Airport expansions.
Port modernization projects in Davao, General Santos, and Polloc, Maguindanao are also underway to strengthen maritime connectivity.
Investments in infrastructure in the four countries are valued at $174.61 billion, with 93 projects of 35 percent having been completed with funding coming from the private and public sectors.
Investments in Mindanao have been looking up despite the political events shaking the country such as the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, who remains popular in Mindanao.
MinDA Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro said development efforts remain on track with a lot of interests in exploring Mindanao.
“As far as economic activities are concerned, we continue to pursue facilitation and engagement, especially with the sustained interest of the private sector looking at opportunities in Mindanao,” he said.
Alongside infrastructure, energy security emerged as a major concern, especially amid the global fuel crisis, as regional cooperation is being explored.
“Part of the major discussions of the BIMP-EAGA leaders during their summit was on energy security and coming up with a framework by which access to fuel resources will be made available,” Montenegro said.
He added that initial steps are already underway through the Department of Energy, which has begun coordinating with regional counterparts.
“That’s why it’s being started now with the Department of Energy. They had discussions already with their Malaysian counterpart, and this will also be pursued with Indonesia and Brunei,” Montenegro added.(davaotoday.com)
