Transport & Infrastructure
From The Report: Philippines 2021
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Transport operations and infrastructure development in the Philippines were acutely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic as lockdowns stalled construction projects, movement restrictions prohibited travel even within communities, and a ban on international arrivals in March limited aviation services for the rest of 2020. As the country’s response to Covid-19 began to take shape in the first half of 2020, it soon became clear that transport and infrastructure spending would be protected as a key driver of economic continuity and recovery. In an April outline of the socio-economic response, Carlos Dominguez, the secretary of finance, stated that the government would press on with President Rodrigo Duterte’s flagship Build, Build, Build infrastructure programme to generate economic activity and create employment. As early as May 2020 the Department of Transportation announced that, despite ongoing lockdowns in Luzon, it would resume work on 13 big-ticket projects – albeit with certain limitations. This chapter contains interviews with Tony Fernandes, CEO, AirAsia Group; and Rubén Camba, South-east Asia Director, Acciona.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Sustained efforts: Work continues on projects as confidence remains high for long- term demand for transport services
OBG
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Transport operations and infrastructure development were acutely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic as lockdowns stalled construction projects, movement restrictions prohibited travel even within communities and a ban on international arrivals in March limited aviation services for the rest of 2020. The government is now intent on restarting activity across the economy through infrastructure spending under President Rodrigo Duterte’s flagship Build, Build, Build (BBB) programme, which launched…

Analysis

Balanced building: The government’s infrastructure programme is pressing ahead to create jobs and fuel the economic recovery
OBG
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As the Philippines’ response to the Covid-19 pandemic began to take shape in the first half of 2020, it soon became clear that transport and infrastructure spending would be protected as a key driver of economic continuity and recovery. In an April outline of the socio-economic response, Carlos Dominguez, the secretary of finance, stated that the government would press on with its Build, Build, Build (BBB) infrastructure programme to generate economic activity and create employment. As…

Analysis

Changing dynamics: Will the pandemic result in a lasting shift in global supply chains for essential pharmaceutical and agricultural goods?
OBG
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As globalisation has increased, the world’s supply chains have become substantially more interconnected, and goods often have more stages to pass through before reaching the end consumer. From national lockdowns to closed airspace and land borders, Covid-19 resulted in unprecedented disruption to the mechanics of most economies, regardless of their size or stage of development. In particular, these barriers placed a major strain on international supply chains, including essential linkages…

Analysis

Changing dynamics: Will the pandemic result in a lasting shift in global supply chains for essential pharmaceutical and agricultural goods?
OBG
plus

As globalisation has increased, the world’s supply chains have become substantially more interconnected, and goods often have more stages to pass through before reaching the end consumer. From national lockdowns to closed airspace and land borders, Covid-19 resulted in unprecedented disruption to the mechanics of most economies, regardless of their size or stage of development. In particular, these barriers placed a major strain on international supply chains, including essential linkages…

Interview

Greater integration: Tony Fernandes, CEO, AirAsia Group, on the environment for entrepreneurs and creating a single ASEAN market
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Interview:Tony Fernandes Which roadblocks do entrepreneurs face in ASEAN economies, and where are there opportunities? TONY FERNANDES: There are some countries where entrepreneurship is difficult because the government owns everything. The government should create and enable entrepreneurs instead of interfering with their businesses. For example, there is potential for a huge conflict of interest when you own an airline or an airport and private entrepreneurs are involved. All stakeholders…

Interview

Wider benefits: Rubén Camba, South-east Asia Director, Acciona, on moving ahead on transport projects to support economic recovery
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Interview:Rubén Camba How do you assess the infrastructure investment climate in the region amid Covid-19, and to what extent might the economic downturn disrupt plans? RUBÉN CAMBA: The GDP of the Asia-Pacific region has grown by an average of 5-6% in recent years, and proved its ability to recover quickly from economic shocks after the 2007-08 financial crisis. The region fell into a recession due to the Covid-19-induced crisis but looks set to rebound in the short term with GDP growth…