Several major infrastructure projects are experiencing construction delays.
Claim: Infrastructure development projects are proceeding as scheduled.
Rating: FALSE
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. erroneously claimed during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday that infrastructure development projects were progressing “on schedule.”
“As we enter the mid-term, our infrastructure development remains sustained, strategic, and on schedule,” Marcos Jr. said.
However, on June 5, just less than two months ago, Marcos Jr. acknowledged that right-of-way issues were causing delays in infrastructure projects.
“That’s very, very timely because we had a briefing on the flagship projects and the delays — talagang malaking delay sa right of way,” he said.
A number of examples contradict Marcos Jr.’s SONA claim.
The construction of the MRT-7 line, which began in April 2016 and was initially set to be operational by 2020, has faced multiple delays. In May, the completion of the Bulacan stations was pushed to 2027 due to right-of-way issues, while the Quezon City leg is expected to be operational by the end of 2025.
The four-kilometer Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project, part of the “Build, Better More” infrastructure program, has also experienced delays since its groundbreaking in October 2022. These delays were attributed to right-of-way issues and environmental concerns. VERA Files published a detailed timeline of the project’s delays in May this year.
The P7.4-billion Panguil Bay bridge project, designed to connect Tangub City in Misamis Occidental to Tubod City in Lanao del Norte, also remains incomplete. Initiated in February 2020, the project faced delays due to pandemic-related work restrictions and supply chain issues, pushing back the completion date.
As of July 8, the project was 93.3 percent complete, behind the target December 2023 completion, the Department of Public Works and Highways reported.
According to the National Economic Development Authority, there were 185 infrastructure flagship projects as of July 2024. The status of these projects is as follows:
- 3 projects completed (one in 2023 and two in 2024)
- 65 ongoing
- 30 approved for implementation
- 5 awaiting government approval
- 36 under project preparation
- 46 in pre-project preparation
Approaching its third year, the Marcos Jr. administration plans to complete 12 additional projects by the end of 2024 and 10 more the following year.
By the end of the president’s term in 2028, the administration aims to finish 48 projects, some of which are still under approval, project preparation, and pre-project preparation stages. Marco Luis D. Beech
