Marcos meets Negros officials, talks on infrastructure plan

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Senator Bongbong Marcos on Thursday held consultations with Negros Oriental officials and sector representatives regarding their priority development projects needing attention from the national government.

Marcos, chairman of the Senate committee on local government and the committee on public works, disclosed in two dialogues in the city that the reason for his visit was to collect information vital for his planned creation of a national infrastructure development plan.

The senator first met with the mayors during the regular meeting of the League of Municipalities of Negros Oriental, which was also attended by Vice Governor Mark Macias and some Provincial Board members.

He later proceeded to the Negros Oriental Convention Center to meet with Governor Roel Degamo, Capitol department heads and representatives of government agencies for a dialogue on infrastructure development.

According to Marcos, legislators have been trying to formulate and put together a national infrastructure and development plan but inputs must be taken first from local officials, local government units and various agencies to determine their needs and priorities on the matter.

Marcos said there is a need to harmonize the priorities of both national and local governments in terms of infrastructure development, adding that there were many instances where the concerns of the two do not match.

Some projects are erected but not needed while others are imperative but are not built and this has been a problem the national government has been fa-cing, said the senator.

Marcos also commented that the Philippines has fallen behind in infrastructure development with a spending of 2.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, which he described as “very low.”

The government however is now looking at doubling this to five percent although this is still considered low compared to other ASEAN neighbors, he said. (FREEMAN)