INFRASTRUCTURE
SECTOR BACKGROUND AND POTENTIAL
The Philippines is significantly underinvesting in physical infrastructure, with its public sector infrastructure budget consistently below 3% of GDP. Spending on social infrastructure for education and health is also inadequate at slightly over 4% of GDP. Polls of businessmen repeatedly show poor infrastructure as one of the top challenges facing the Philippine economy, second only to corruption. Like corruption, poor infrastructure severely weakens economic competitiveness.
[ Read This Chapter ]
Airports
With its archipelagic character, the Philippines depends on air and sea transport much more than countries with large continuous landmasses. Since a high percentage of domestic and international commerce and travel is by air and sea, the efficiency of aviation and maritime transportation.... [ Read This Chapter ]Power
Electric power and water are essential needs for modern man, to survive, and to thrive. In the globe’s fastest-growing region – Asia – they are especially critical to economic growth and competitiveness. [ Read This Chapter ]
News Updates
SMC warns of rotating blackouts, water crisis
11 June, 2019 at 11:06
Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp., the country’s biggest power producer, has warned of regular rotating blackouts in Luzon due to the “regulatory inertia” that has prevented the construction of new power plants.
[OPINION] Keeping up with technology
27 May, 2019 at 15:25
Technology is changing the way people live in our world today whether we are ready for change or not. Countries resistant to change or simply not ready for change, will find it very difficult to compete against nimbler economic and political rivals.
Tugade eyes privatization of PPA
27 May, 2019 at 15:18
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade is targeting to privatize the operations of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) before the end of the Duterte administration.
Goodbye, decent broadband!
24 May, 2019 at 10:02
The Senate has approved the creation of a Philippine Space Agency which aims to make us space capable in the next decade. That’s a laugh. We can’t even have decent broadband service in this country and here is the Senate prioritizing the creation of a space agency…
What the country needs in a dict...
24 May, 2019 at 09:56
The drafters of the law creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) surely had the best of intentions in setting forth the qualifications of the secretary that would lead the government agency tasked with “the primary policy, planning, coordinating…
DOE starts enticing new power investments
23 May, 2019 at 16:02
Without it admitting yet that it might have missed planning trajectories, the Department of Energy (DOE) is finally stepping up into inviting new power projects to satiate the country’s long-term energy needs.
Vague rules barriers to trade: DICT
22 May, 2019 at 12:01
The inadequacy of laws in information and communication technology (ICT) sector and the vagueness of the scope of power of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) have resulted in certain barriers in the country’s trade and investment…
Low storage costs keep containers in PH
20 May, 2019 at 13:43
The country’s largest truckers association is putting part of the blame for the lingering congestion at the country’s main ports on low storage costs that have allowed international shipping lines to keep empty containers in the country.
The recent water crisis
9 May, 2019 at 14:01
Not long ago – in a drama that unfolded in March and continued until April, the hottest and driest months of the year – the Metro Manila area suffered a major trauma: the availability and quality of water services became erratic and water rationed in a time of heavy need.
MORE smart cities… with sufficient water
9 May, 2019 at 13:45
Metro Manila is expanding fast with 13+ million residents, plus an estimated 2+ million from surrounding provinces going to the big city for work, studies, other transactions.
DOTr, LRTA, LRMC begin today full-blast construction...
8 May, 2019 at 14:40
The full-blast construction of the LRT-1 Cavite extension project starts today, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), and Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) announced Monday.
[PRESS RELEASE] MAP urges Holistic Laguna Lake...
8 May, 2019 at 08:11
Water security and the environment are major concerns of the MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (MAP). It is for these reasons that MAP urges an immediate effort by the national government together with local government units and the private sector to…
Meralco warns of more power outages in...
7 May, 2019 at 08:30
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) warns of more power outages in the future given rising demand.
[EDITORIAL] Not a neutral party
6 May, 2019 at 15:22
The Czech Republic and France have taken steps to limit the use of products by Chinese telecom giant Huawei, “primarily due to security concerns.”
Shift from ODA to PPP for project...
6 May, 2019 at 14:12
The Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) is urging the Philippines to consider funding more projects through public-private partnership (PPP) as this will be cheaper and speedier in the long-term with increasing credit confidence in the country.
NAIA Consortium beats deadline, revised offer still...
2 May, 2019 at 10:10
The super consortium of seven conglomerates seeking to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has managed to beat the deadline set by the Department of Transportation, but its offer continues to hang in the balance as it now undergoes scrutiny from the government.
