Government OKs P279.5 billion infrastructure projects

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January 11, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Economy and Development Council (ED Council), chaired by President Marcos, has approved nearly P280 billion worth of education, transport and agriculture projects.

In a statement, the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) said the council approved on Jan.8 a total of P279.5 billion in infrastructure projects.

Among those approved is the P105.69-billion Public-Private Partnership (PPP) School Infrastructure Project Phase III (PSIP III), aimed at closing classroom gaps and providing better learning environments.

A flagship initiative under the Department of Education, the project will involve the delivery of 16,459 new classrooms across 1,095 existing schools in Luzon between March 2027 and March 2028 and benefit at least 800,000 learners per year.

It is expected to bring down the average class size from 50 to 39 students, as well as eliminate multiple-shift schedules.

The plan is to implement the project as a solicited PPP and a Build-Lease-and-Transfer contractual arrangement.

“Addressing critical infrastructure gaps in education is central to sustaining growth and achieving our development targets. By investing in classrooms that strengthen learning outcomes, we are laying the foundation for higher productivity, stronger human capital and inclusive growth,” DEPDev Secretary and ED Council vice-chair Arsenio Balisacan said.

Also approved was the P145.56-billion Central Mindanao High Standard Highway Construction Project – Cagayan de Oro-Malaybalay Section under the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Funded by official development assistance, the project will cover approximately 64.7 kilometers of four-lane road traversing Tagoloan and Cagayan de Oro in Misamis Oriental, as well as the municipalities of Manolo Fortich, Sumilao, Impasugong and Malaybalay in Bukidnon.

It also involves the construction of 47 bridges, nine of which are special long-span bridges.

The project is expected to cut travel time between the two metropolitan centers to 3.5 hours from 6.5 hours.

The ED Council also approved the P28.24-billion Pang-Agraryong Tulay para sa Bagong Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka Bridges Project, aimed at improving market access and rural connectivity for agrarian reform communities (ARCs) and boosting the productivity and incomes of at least 350,000 households.

It will involve the construction of better and well-designed durable, permanent modular steel bridges that will connect ARCs with growth centers and key value chain nodes.

In addition, the ED Council approved changes to the P27.69-billion Farm-to-Market Bridges Development Program’s implementation period.

The program’s implementation period will now cover fiscal years 2026-2029 from 2025-2028, previously.

It involves the construction of 300 modular steel panel bridges across 15 regions to help farmers, fisherfolk and rural residents access markets.

The DEPDev said the approved projects show the government’s commitment to accelerating inclusive growth and investing in human capital development.