SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian is proposing a 30-year infrastructure master plan to institutionalize long-term planning and ensure priority projects continue across different administrations.
Senate Bill No. 1652, also known as the Master Plan for Infrastructure and National Development (MIND) Act, seeks to anchor infrastructure investments within a rules-based framework.
The bill mandates a 30-year Comprehensive Infrastructure Development Master Plan (CIDMP). This plan would be integrated into key government processes, such as the Philippine Development Plan and the annual General Appropriations Act, to align long-term goals with yearly budget decisions.
Gatchalian, the measure’s author, said legislating the plan would prevent frequent shifts in priorities, allowing major projects to proceed even as national leadership changes.
“Kapag ang masterplan ay naka angkla sa batas, hindi ito madaling palitan at maipagpapatuloy ang mga importanteng imprastraktura kahit na magpalit-palit pa ang mga nasa pwesto,” he said.
(When the master plan is anchored in law, it cannot be easily changed, and important infrastructure projects can continue even as those in power change.)
The measure also aims to maximize public spending. According to the Department of Budget and Management, national infrastructure allocations grew by an average of 7.9 percent annually from 2022 to 2025.
To strengthen coordination, the bill proposes the Master Plan for Infrastructure and National Development Council. Chaired by the President, the council would include heads of key infrastructure agencies to oversee the preparation and monitoring of the CIDMP.
The master plan covers several sectors: transportation, energy, water resources, information technology, and social infrastructure like housing, health, and education. It also includes agri-fisheries modernization and asset preservation. / PNA