MANILA – Presidential Adviser for Flagship Programs Vivencio Dizon said 12 flagship water infrastructure projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program would be covered by the Palace directive to expedite the approval of projects related to water security.
In a Palace briefing on Thursday, Dizon said these include the construction of the China-funded Kaliwa Dam, along with 11 other water projects under the government’s flagship infrastructure program.
“Kaliwa Dam is critical for the long-term water sustainability in Metro Manila,” he said.
Dizon noted that the construction of the water resource from the Sierra Madre has been studied since the Marcos regime back in 1967.
“I think after so many years, so many decades, it’s about time to push through with the Kaliwa Dam project,” he added.
The “Build, Build, Build” program has 92 flagship projects amounting to PHP4.1 trillion.
Thirteen are newly added projects, five of which are in the water sector -- the Water District Development Sector project, the National Irrigation Sector Rehabilitation and Improvement project, the Balog-Balog Multipurpose Project Phase II in Tarlac, the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project Stage II in Iloilo, and the Lower Agno River Irrigation System Improvement Project in Pangasinan.
Last August 26, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Administrative Order (AO) 32 or the “Expediting the Review and Approval Process of Infrastructure Flagship Projects on Water Security”.
“We thank the Office of the President for issuing AO32 that will prioritize our water projects across the country because it is very important that we prepare for the dry season. And now is the time to fast-track our water projects, especially in Metro Manila,” Dizon said in Filipino.
The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) on Wednesday said it would apply the same strategy in the telecommunications sector to speed up the review and approval of key projects. (PNA)
