Government infrastructure spending surges 45% in November

MANILA, Philippines — Infrastructure spending surged 44.8 percent in November as more public works projects were launched that month, the Department of Budget and Management said yesterday.

DBM Secretary Benjamin Diokno attributed the rise in infrastructure spending to the Duterte administration’s ambitious Build Build Build program, which is seen ushering in a golden age of infrastructure in the Philippines.

Infrastructure disbursements reached P43.8 billion in November, higher than the P30.2 billion released in the same month last year.

Some of the major projects that contributed to the rise in infrastructure disbursements are completed road infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) such as flood control projects, and the construction, concreting, and widening of road networks nationwide; acquisition of various equipment under the Capability Enhancement Program of the Department of Interior and Local Government-Philippine National Police (DILG-PNP); and payments for supplies, repair and maintenance of patrol vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard.

The boost in infrastructure spending also buoyed total disbursements by 10.4 percent to P252.1 billion in November.  This brings total national disbursements to P2.49 trillion from January to November 2017, up 10.1 percent year on year.

“The statistics on government disbursements only bolster our thrust for efficient and effective public service delivery,” Diokno said.

 For the month of November, personnel services and infrastructure and other capital outlays served as the main growth drivers of disbursements.

Personnel services reached P97.6 billion, 17.1 percent higher than the previous year due to the release of the year-end bonus and cash gift of government employees; the release of 2016 Performance-Based Bonus of some agencies; as well as the requirements for the creation/filling of pension; and retirement gratuity benefits of retirees in various agencies.

“I assure you that the DBM, in coordination with the line agencies, have exerted all its efforts to ensure the expedient and prudent management of public resources,” Diokno said.

“In essence, the DBM will not let up in its reform initiatives and will strive for continual improvement,” Diokno said.