I WELCOME the opportunity to share to our countrymen many of the important projects the Marcos administration has been undertaking to improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos, especially at the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) where I was appointed Chairman by President BBM last November 2023.
Not trying to sound off like an administration propagandist but as an official who is implementing the important policy directives of the President that some members of the press sometimes failed to report, I can say with confidence that our President BBM is reshaping and redefining the country’s infrastructure program, as he takes lessons from past mistakes that has hampered our growth and development and slowed down his “Bagong Pilipinas” agenda.
Guided by the President’s vision, we at the PRA (formerly the Public Estates Authority, PEA), see reclamation not merely as creating new land, but as creating new opportunities for every Filipino.
Every hectare we responsibly develop is an investment in our country’s future—opening doors for economic growth, quality jobs, modern communities, and a better quality of life.
Ito po ang diwa ng Bagong Pilipinas—ang pag-unlad na may malasakit, may pananagutan, at may malinaw na direksyon para sa susunod na henerasyon.
In the past, many government infrastructure projects were plagued by issues such as overpricing, substandard construction, and even ghost projects.
Today, under the Bagong Pilipinas agenda, we are pursuing world-class infrastructure through innovative public-private partnerships, delivering major infrastructure at no direct cost to the government and without additional burden on taxpayers.
Again, under President BBM, we are moving past the period when government infrastructure spending often failed to maximize public value. Today, private sector participation is being harnessed to finance and deliver much needed infrastructure without additional cost to taxpayers.
This approach reflects a new way of governing—where public service is strengthened through innovation, transparency, and responsible collaboration with the private sector.
Through this model, we can accelerate nation-building while ensuring that every peso of public resources is used wisely and every development creates lasting value for the Filipino people.
Simply stated, the Bagong Pilipinas agenda calls for the development of reclaimed lands to build new economic hubs, center of opportunities and entire communities with the private sector bearing the cost of infrastructure development or at no cost to the government.
In other words, we are stepping away from the old practice wherein it is the government that is allocating money in bidding out infrastructure projects to private contractors leading to wasted private property, a relationship that resulted to the waste of public money thru unfinished, substandard and ghost projects, and corruption.
Nowhere is this new way of governing best demonstrated than in our ongoing reclamation and development project within the vicinity of Pasay City, right off Manila Bay, here in Metro Manila.
On this project alone, the PRA is facilitating the development of at least 12 bridges, 88 kilometers of roads, 40 kilometers of bike lanes, 122 kilometers of drainage and underground flood control systems, and 120 kilometers of utility corridors for electricity, water, and internet services.
In addition, 22 kilometers of coastal revetment, applying innovations in engineering and nature-based solutions, is being constructed. Aside from redefining and adding to Metro Manila’s coastline, the different revetment methodology will enhance the level of coastal protection for the reclaimed lands and even for the existing mainland. This means that the designs are meant to protect the islands, the inhabitants, and the biodiversity therein from coastal flooding, erosion, and strong waves.
The newly reclaimed lands are also intended to be self-sustaining. They were planned to be complete, with provisions for electricity, fiber-optic connectivity, gas lines, potable water, and gray water systems.
We estimate the cost of these initial critical infrastructure investments at about P200 billion. And incredible as this may sound, it will be provided by the private sector or with no direct cost to the government.
In other words, in this legacy project of President BBBM, corruption is not tolerated.
In other words, we are stepping away from the old practice wherein it is the government that is allocating money in bidding out infrastructure projects to private contractors leading to wasted private property, a relationship that resulted to the waste of public money thru unfinished, substandard and ghost projects, and corruption.
Again, under President BBM, we are moving past the period when government infrastructure spending often failed to maximize public value. Today, private sector participation is being harnessed to finance and deliver much needed infrastructure without additional cost to taxpayers.
It took nearly 49 years to transform Entertainment City, the Mall of Asia Complex, and the surrounding financial district into thriving centers of commerce and tourism, featuring millions of square meters of office and commercial space, world-class entertainment and cultural venues, exhibition and convention facilities and a livable community with 22 hotels, schools, four of the country’s largest integrated resort casinos, hospitals, churches, housing and residential communities, cultural and exhibition and sports center.
Today, the PRA aspires to develop an area twice as large, creating 6.505 million square meters of new land (more than 650 hectares) that will generate new investments, new industries, new jobs, and new opportunities—all once again at no direct cost to the government.
This is the future that we call Bagong Pilipinas.