Aquino OKs P123-B Laguna Lake road dike, 2 other PPP projects

By: TJ Burgonio - 10 years ago

Laguna Lake. MARICAR P. CINCO/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Finally, the much-awaited expressway dike project that would mitigate flooding in coastal communities along Laguna Lake has been green-lighted for implementation.

The P122.8-billion Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike Project, which also serves as alternate route from Bicutan, Taguig City, to Los Baños town, Laguna province, was among three infrastructure projects approved by President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday.

Also approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board was the P14.6-billion operation and maintenance of Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental province and the P2.3-billion operation and maintenance of the new Bohol Airport, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.

All three are public-private partnership projects, with a total cost of P139.77 billion.

The Neda Board, chaired by the President and composed of Cabinet members, met on Thursday in Malacañang.

The 47-kilometer expressway dike runs from Bicutan, Taguig, to Calamba and Los Baños, and serves as an alternate route to the congested national highway, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Flood-control system

It was also designed to integrate a flood-control system meant to protect flood-prone areas along Laguna Lake.

The project also involved the reclamation and development of 500 to 700 hectares of raw land for mixed land use.

In August 2012, after two weeks of monsoon rains caused massive flooding in the capital and in central and southern Luzon, the President tasked Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson to build a dike around Laguna.

At the time, the DPWH also unveiled a P352-million “flood management master plan” for the metropolis and surrounding areas.

In the same meeting, the Neda Board also approved the P9.35-billion single bid of Light Rail Manila Consortium for the LRT Line 1 South Extension Project that will connect Manila to Cavite province, Coloma said.

Local funding

Also approved was the change in funding source for Umayam River Irrigation Project, from the Official Development Assistance to local funds, which reduced its cost from P1.56 billion to P1.4 billion. The change in funding source to local funds for Casecnan Multipurpose Irrigation and Power Project-Irrigation Component similarly brought its cost down to P5.45 billion from P7.61 billion.