MANILA — The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Thursday approved three "high impact projects" including the third phase of the capability improvement project for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), an official said Thursday.

NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the Coast Guard project, worth P29.3 billion, involves the design, construction, and delivery of 5 units of multi-role response vessel (MRRV) for the PCG.

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It will be financed through an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan from the Japanese government, Balisacan added.

"This project also includes a 5-year integrated logistics support. This project will further improve the Philippine Coast Guard's capability to respond to threats and incidents within the country's maritime jurisdiction," Balisacan told Palace reporters.

"In particular, the project will enable the Coast Guard to secure important sea lines of communication in the West Philippine Sea, Sulu, Celebes seas," he added.

Balisacan said the vessels would be delivered as early as 2027 until 2028 and help address "threats to our people and fishermen."

"It is also for emergencies. For typhoons, provide assistance to people threatened by disasters," he said.

Aside from this, the NEDA approved the Pang-Agraryong Tulay Para sa Bagong Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka or the PBBM Bridges Project of the Department of Agrarian Reform.

The project has a total cost of P28.2 billion and seeks to construct 350 modular steel bridges with a length of 10,500 linear meters.

"These bridges will enhance access and connectivity for agrarian reform communities," he said.

Finally, the NEDA Board has also approved the revised parameters, terms, and conditions, or PTCs, of the 59.4 kilometer Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway or TPLEX Extension Project as recommended by the Investment Coordination Committee of the NEDA Board.

“Following this approval, the DPWH will proceed with the publication of the invitation for comparative proposals in accordance with the Revised 2022 Build-Operate-Transfer Law Implementing Rules and Regulations, as well as the ICC Guidelines on Processing PPP proposals,” Balisacan said.

The TPLEX Extension Project which will run from the last exit of TPLEX in Rosario, La Union until San Juan, La Union, “is expected to stimulate economic activity, alleviate road congestion, provide better and safer road access, and promote the development of new growth centers in nearby regions.”

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. last month said the Coast Guard was expecting around 40 more vessels made in Cebu.

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These would be 15 meters high, said PCG Spokesperson Armand Balilo and the construction of these vessels was underway.

The PCG earlier this year urged the government to prioritize its modernization following reports of Chinese harassment and incursions into the West Philippine Sea.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG's spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said they only had 3 offshore patrol vessels, one of which came from France and two from Japan.

The PCG has 10 other multi-role response vessels.

With a report from Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News

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