NEDA BOARD APPROVES FOUR SOCIAL PROJECTS FOR HEALTH, EDUCATION, LAND MANAGEMENT

MANILA—During its 8th Meeting with President Benigno S. Aquino III as chair, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board approved today the following four major projects:

1. Modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC)

Description: This involves the construction of a 700-bed capacity super-specialty tertiary orthopedic hospital within the National Kidney and Transplant Institute Complex along East Avenue, Quezon City. It will also involve the supply, installation, operations and management of modern diagnostics equipment and IT facilities, as well as the operation and maintenance of the entire facility.

Cost: PhP5.69 billion

Proponent: Department of Health (DOH)

Financing: Public-Private Partnership (PPP), with PhP5.43 billion for private sector funding

Implementation period: July 2013-June 2038, with 2.5 years for construction and 22.5 years for operation and maintenance

2.  Development Objective Agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America on Family Health Improved

Description: This involves a new health strategy that will focus on three component areas in the health sector where the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had demonstrated successful investments and comparative advantage. These components include: (a) family planning, and maternal and child health; and (b) tuberculosis (TB) control and multi-drug resistant/extensively-drug resistant TB treatment. Assistance for the  creation of a comprehensive package of services model to address the highly infective HIV/AIDS among most at-risk population and other infectious diseases may also be provided, should additional funds be made available by USAID under the Agreement for this purpose.

Cost: PhP8.94 billion

Proponent: DOH

Financing: Official Development Assistance, with USAID funding PhP6.71 billion

Implementation period: 2012-2017

3. Basic Education Assistance for Muslim Mindanao  (BEAM-ARMM) 

Description: This involves the improvement of basic education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) through engagements of key activities in different areas, such as infrastructure, health and sanitation, technical-vocational training, and access to education. It intends to: (a) improve management and teaching capacities through training of education managers and teachers; (b) enhance learning environment through the construction and repair of classrooms and other school facilities; (c) improve school health conditions through the construction of toilets and hand-washing facilities, and training of school health personnel and teachers; (d) improve livelihood opportunities through the provision of technical-vocational training for out-of-school-children and youth; and (e) improve access to pre-school and elementary education through construction of community learning centers for elementary and support for pre-school classes.

Cost: Php3.93 billion

Proponent: Department of Education-ARMM

Financing: ODA, with the Australian Agency for International Development funding PhP3.57 billion

Implementation period: 2012-2018

4.      Additional Financing for the World Bank-assisted Land Administration and Management Project (LAMP 2) 

Description: This will provide additional funding for the LAMP 2 in establishing a land information system and improving land tenure security in the country. It will develop an efficient system of land titling and administration that will foster the development of efficient land markets in rural and urban areas. Activities in this project include scanning of maps (e.g., cadastral maps, projection maps, survey plans, and land classification maps) and documents (e.g., lot data computations, public land applications, survey returns), geo-referencing, and encoding, among others.

Cost: PhP2.68 billion                                  

Proponent: Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Financing: ODA, with the World Bank funding PhP2.58 billion

Implementation period: 2012-2015

The NEDA Board is the country’s highest development planning and policy coordinating body. It is chaired by President Aquino, vice-chaired by Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, and comprised of various Cabinet secretaries, the President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, the Governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and the Deputy Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

M.R. No. 2012-063

18 September 2012