The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will host the biggest number of infrastructure projects to be built in the next five years, although their combined value is loer than those in more developed regions.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia told a press conference yesterday that once the ARMM was granted wider autonomy under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (now pending in Congress), they expect the regional government to have “more say” in implementing the infrastructure projects in the pipeline.

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“But there would still be collaboration between the new Bangsamoro region and the national government,” added Pernia, who heads state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority.

Neda Undersecretary Rolando G. Tungpalan said that for ARMM projects already undergoing implementation, especially those funded by loans, these “will just continue.”

“But those that have yet to be started, I guess that is what we will have to discuss how… they will be funded and how they will be implemented,” Tungpalan said.

Pernia said that under the 2017-2022 Public Investment Program (PIP) that would implement 4,490 programs and projects worth a total of P7.74 trillion, “investments are distributed as equitably as possible.”

“For one, the ARMM, despite having the lowest GRDP [gross regional domestic product], has the highest level of public investment to GRDP ratio,” he said.

During the six-year period, the investment to GRDP ratio in ARMM was projected to reach 17.51 percent, higher than the 4.21 percent in the National Capital Region and the national average of 6.28 percent, Neda Assistant Secretary Roderick M. Planta said.

Planta said 1,340 infrastructure projects would be rolled out in the ARMM under the 2017-2022 PIP.

Region 1 will have 165 projects; Region 2, 288; Region 3, 235; Region 4A, 168; Region 4B, 172; Region 5, 187; Region 6, 176; Region 7, 128; Region 8, 124; Region 9, 138; Region 10, 183; Region 11, 143; Region 12, 62; Cordillera Autonomous Region, 98; and the National Capital Region, 320, Planta said.

There will also be 161 projects that are nationwide in scope, on top of 98 interregional projects, Planta added.

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However, Neda data showed that while the ARMM would have the most number of projects, the investment requirement would amount to only P63.24 billion of the P7.738-trillion 2017-2022 PIP.

To compare, the 320 projects in the NCR would cost a larger P964.68 billion.

The nationwide projects would amount a total of P2.29 trillion or 29.6 percent of total, while the interregional projects would cost P3.319 trillion or 42.89 percent.

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