The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) is fast-tracking key infrastructure initiatives in Mindanao, including the 428-kilometer Mindanao Transport Connectivity Improvement Project and the long-delayed Mindanao Railway Project, through public-private partnerships (PPP).
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, MinDA Chair Leo Magno said coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways on the transport connectivity project is ongoing. “The latest briefing we received is that the project is continuing as planned. There are no significant changes, and it is now in the final stages before rollout,” he said.
Magno also announced that MinDA has signed an agreement with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to intensify efforts to advance the Mindanao Railway Project. Feasibility studies for several railway segments have already been completed.
“We are now looking to engage more interested parties to participate through public-private partnerships,” Magno added, noting that the government hopes to fast-track applications and implementation through private sector involvement.
Meanwhile, leaders of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) adopted the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2035, which targets a combined nominal GDP of USD720 billion and more than USD1.1 trillion in trade by 2035.
Magno said the bloc has identified 265 priority infrastructure projects worth USD174.6 billion, including initiatives to improve airports, ports, transport connectivity, and tourism development in Mindanao and Palawan.
