Seventy thousand national and local infrastructure projects are aimed for construction this year, according to Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan in Tuesday’s Malacañang Press Briefing.

Bonoan told reporters that the said projects will be made with a Php. 890 billion budget.

Part of the 70,000 projects for this year includes school projects to be jointly implemented with the Department of Education, farm-to-market roads with the Department of Agriculture, and thoroughfares to production areas with the Department of Trade and Industry.

“We have been in touch with the Department of Transportation with their commuter rail projects and subway station, we will be providing necessary access roads to these stations,” Bonoan said.

He added that they are aiming to open segments of big infrastructure projects before Marcos Jr.’s second State of the Nation Address in July, including the Caloocan-Espana, Manila segment of the North Luzon-South Luzon Expressway Connector before Holy Week, as well as the Cavite-Laguna Expressway and the Central Luzon Link Expressway.

Six bridges will also be built along Pasig, River, all of which are privately funded, with three from the Asian Development Bank and another three from the Export-Import Bank of China.

Bonoan said that such funding was a product of the President’s overseas trips.

He also reported on DPWH’s achievements during the first six months of Marcos Jr.’s presidency, including road work on about 1,500 kilometers of major and local roads, 161 bridge projects, and 851 flood control projects.