Build Build Build gets P1 trillion in Duterte’s final year

MANILA, Philippines — The Duterte administration continues to prioritize its flagship Build Build Build program in its final year, pouring yet another trillion pesos into infrastructure projects for 2022.

In the 2022 National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted to Congress last Monday, the executive branch has sought a total appropriation of P1.18 trillion for public works and transport programs or about a quarter of the proposed P5-trillion national budget for next year.

This is the second time the budget for infrastructure projects reached the P1-trillion mark. For this year, P1.1 trillion is allocated for the program.

This proposed budget for the program represents 5.4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

In the 2022 NEP, a copy of which was obtained by The STAR, at least P335.6 billion in infrastructure projects are given to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and at least P127 billion to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Under the P685.2-billion proposed budget of DPWH for next year are network development program with appropriation of P128.1 billion, flood management with P113.5 billion, asset preservation with P59.6 billion and bridge program with P34.4 billion.

Despite the increase in funding for infrastructure and projects, the proposed budget of DPWH went down by almost P10 billion from P694.8 billion this year.

The DPWH budget for next year will cover P661.5 billion for capital outlays, P9.7 billion for personnel services and P14 billion for maintenance and other operating expenses.

On the other hand, DOTr’s P150.76-billion budget covers rail transport projects with allocation of P110.9 billion, land public transportation projects with P13.9 billion, aviation infrastructure with P1.7 billion and maritime infrastructure with P720 million.

The budget of DOTr for 2022 showed a P62-billion increase from this year’s P87.9 billion. It covers P117.1 billion for capital outlays, P16.75 billion for personnel services, P16.86 billion for maintenance and other operating expenses and P7.89 billion for financial expenses.

The Build Build Build program has completed P2.5 trillion in public infrastructure projects and generated over 6.5 million jobs from 2016 to 2020, according to government data.

Under the program, a total of 150,159 classrooms have been built nationwide; 5,950 bridges constructed, widened, rehabilitated or replaced; 29,274 kilometers of roads built, widened or improved and 214 airport projects completed.

The program has also constructed 739 COVID-19 facilities as of this month.

In his budget message to Congress, Duterte cited the importance of pursuing his flagship program despite the pandemic.

But for administration critics in Congress, there could be a hidden agenda behind the proposed budget.

Deputy minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate alleged that the proposed budget is a “supersized election budget designed to bankroll administration bets but will also ramp up suppression of the opposition and other critics of the administration.”

“Just look at its priorities: it allotted P686.1 billion for DPWH and P250.4 billion for DILG so that more funds can be distributed to its allies in the run up to the elections. Yet, it only allotted P242 billion for the Department of Health even if we are still in the middle of a raging pandemic,” the militant lawmaker who heads the Makabayan bloc argued. – Janvic Mateo, Cecille Suerte Felipe