A year and a half after the President formed and introduced the Super Regions and the priority infrastructure projects that will help realize the development thrusts of each Super Region, much has been accomplished. The government has already completed 14 priority infrastructure projects with many nearing completion in 2008.

This report provides an update on the priority infrastructure projects in the North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle, Luzon Urban Beltway, Central Philippines , and Mindanao Super Regions.

North Luzon  Agribusiness Quadrangle

In President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s 2006 State of the Nation Address (SONA) she unveiled a development blueprint to boost agricultural production and economic activity in the North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle (NLAQ). NLAQ is composed of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Region I and II, and portions of Region III, specifically the Northern municipalities of Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Zambales.

Since then, the President has added projects that are in sync with NLAQ’s thrust. During the 2007 SONA, the President included in the priority infrastructure projects for NLAQ the Alaminos Airport in Pangasinan and, in replacement of the Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan, the Northern Cagayan Airport Development Project (San Vicente Naval Airstrip).

There are currently twenty-three (23) major infrastructure projects in NLAQ with a total estimated cost of P56.8 billion, which involves the construction of three (3) major road projects, seven (7) airports, three (3) ports, four (4) major irrigation projects, three (3) power projects, two (2) flood control projects, one (1) cold chain system, also included are small-scale irrigation and farm-to- market roads. The fusion of these infrastructure projects will hasten the delivery of agricultural produce from farm to markets, reduce transport costs, cut travel time, and increase farmers’ incomes.  

A number of projects in the NLAQ Super Region have shown significant progress since the Super Region’s inception in 2006. The upgrading of the Poro Point Airport into an international airport is now in the early civil work stages. (READ MORE...)