President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promised climate-proof government infrastructure projects as part of his administration's strategic integration of the climate agenda during the Asian Development Bank's reception in Mandaluyong City on Monday, May 22.
According to Marcos, the government would incorporate elements of sustainability, climate resilience, and disaster preparedness into all phases of social and infrastructure planning, design, and building, as well as operation and maintenance.
He went on to say that the projects will be executed in the water sector, sanitation, electricity, and transportation networks, as well as agriculture and food production, among other vital areas.
The chief executive also indicated that climate change will be at the center of critical national policy and investment decisions and that he is looking to the ADB for critical development interventions, notably climate-related projects.
Marcos assured the ADB that the Philippines will uphold its obligations to the regional financial institution, just as his father, former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., did more than 50 years ago.
He committed to guaranteeing that the ADB-financed programs and projects are rigorously and timely implemented, as well as that the loans and other technical assistance supplied to the government are used wisely.
Meanwhile, in 2022, the ADB was the Philippines' leading provider of active official development assistance (ODA) among 20 development partners, accounting for 34% (USD 10.74 billion for 31 loans and 28 grants) of the total active ODA of USD 31.95 billion.
ADB's annual loan assistance for the Philippines totaled USD 1.4 billion from 2010 to 2022.
Within the first nine months of the Marcos administration, the Bank signed three loans totaling USD1.10 billion as part of its ongoing commitment to the Philippines.
