NEDA gives Daang Hari-SLEX road the greenlight as PPP project

The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) has given the greenlight for the P1.4-billion, four-kilometer tollroad project connecting Bacoor, Cavite to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to be a part of the public-private partnership projects for the year. The project, the government's first public-private partnership (PPP) initiative, would cut travel time from Daang Hari in Bacoor to the Alabang interchange, and would ease traffic in parts of Las Piñas and Muntinlupa. Approved by the NEDA's Investment Coordination Committee, the Daang Hari-SLEX Link road seeks to bolster investments and development in Cavite. "Cavite is a rapidly growing industrial and commercial center, thus there should be a dependable access to this production area," said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga Jr. on Thursday. Paderanga said the first PPP project forms part of the objectives of the government's 2011-2016 Philippine Development Plan, which aims to "develop an integrated multimodal logistics and transport system that will spread development from large cities to smaller towns and rural areas." The project will now be brought to the NEDA Board for confirmation to facilitate the bidding process with the private sector under the PPP program. At least 10 other projects worth P127.8 billion have been shortlisted and readied for rollout in 2011, while 83 priority infrastructure projects have been prioritized. Seventy-three of these projects are slated for tender by 2012 and beyond, 28 of which have an investment requirement of P263.5 billion and have already been identified for competitive selection. Forty-three other projects with estimated investment requirements of P348.5 billion are also open for partnership with the private sector, according to the NEDA — JMT/VS, GMA News