Government allots P133 billion to boost mobility as part of ramped up infrastructure spending

MANILA, Philippines —  The Marcos administration is spending P133 billion next year to enhance mobility in the country through network development as the government continues to bank on infrastructure to recover from the pandemic.

Under the record P5.268-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2023, the government has allocated P132.6 billion for the Network Development Program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The DPWH is the government’s main arm in the implementation of public infrastructure programs and takes up the second highest allocation in the proposed 2023 national budget.

The network development program aims to construct and widen existing and new roads nationwide which is just a portion of the flagship Build Better More campaign of the government that seeks to continue and expand the Duterte administration’s massive infrastructure push.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said this is expected to generate more jobs and pave the way for economic transformation, especially as infrastructure spending will remain at five to six percent of gross domestic product over the next six years.

“As the President emphasized, the backbone of an economy is its infrastructure. Robust spending on the infrastructure sector helps stimulate the country’s economy through the creation of thousands of jobs for Filipinos,” Pangandaman said.

“As the government sustains these investments, this sector will continue to be one of the top priorities of the administration,” she said.

Build Better More

The P133 billion for network development is almost 20 percent of the total P718.4 billion DPWH budget that would largely fuel the Build Better More program.

This would allow the DPWH to construct 50.804 kilometers of new roads, widen almost 500 kilometers of existing ones, maintain and rehabilitate 304 bridges, and replace 19,570 lineal meters of already constructed bridges.

The P84.2-billion asset preservation program is expected to complement the network development to ensure that national roads are safe and reliable especially when transporting essential goods and services.

The P45.7-billion bridge program to widen, construct, retrofit, strengthen and rehabilitate bridges all over the country would also supplement the program.

The DPWH also partners with other national government agencies to implement key infrastructure projects in various sectors.

For next year, P10.3 billion will be set aside for the construction and improvement of access roads to airports, sea ports, and trades, industries, and economic zones all over the country.

Some P15.7 billion will be for links to tourism destinations and P8.1 billion for economic zones. Another P1.7 billion is allotted for national roads that link to indigenous peoples’ communities.

In particular, this would allow the government to improve 16.313 kilometers of roads leading to airports, 27.563 kilometers leading to seaports, 308.063 kilometers leading to tourist destinations, and 155.813 kilometers of roads leading to various industries.

P1.2 trillion for infrastructure projects

Overall, the government intends to spend P1.189 trillion for infrastructure in 2023. This is almost a percentage higher than the P1.178 trillion allocation for this year.

It is also well within the five to six percent of GDP share targeted by the government.

“On the path to growth, we will pursue the Build Better More program that is a continuation and expansion of the Duterte administration’s Build Build Build program,” Pangandaman said.

“However, our growth must be inclusive and sustainable. Hence, in crafting the budget, we have been equally committed to the government’s eight-point socioeconomic agenda,” she said.

This includes food security, improved transportation, affordable and clean energy, health care, social protection, improved and face-to-face education, bureaucratic efficiency, and sound fiscal management.