Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito on Wednesday urged the government to continue infrastructure rollout to boost the economy and create more jobs.
In a news release, Ejercito said infrastructure spending must continue despite the flood control corruption scandal.
Citing data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Ejercito said infrastructure spending plunged 43 percent –from PHP137.1 billion in the third quarter of 2024 to PHP78.7 billion in the same period this year.
He said keeping infrastructure works on track is important while introducing clearer safeguards to address the issues raised in the flood control controversy.
“Every peso invested in infrastructure generates PHP2.4 to PHP3 in economic activity, and as a policy maker, we cannot ignore it. But we will not stop the issue on flood control if we want to revive economic momentum, attract investments, and create jobs. We must continue building,” Ejercito said.
Ejercito expressed his support for the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) catch-up plan aimed at speeding up construction in the last quarter of this year until early next year, and boosting infrastructure spending.
“Hopefully, makahabol tayo (we can catch up). From this time until January, we need to implement the catch-up plan para maka-recover tayo sa spending at magtuloy ang economic activity (so we can recover on spending and continue our economy activity),” he said.
Ejercito also reiterated the need to realign savings from flood control projects toward other high-impact infrastructure projects such as airports, seaports, and classrooms, areas he said could deliver strong multiplier effects on the economy.
He underscored the need to safeguard businesses participating in government projects, saying legitimate contractors should be allowed to earn a reasonable profit margin and without interference from corrupt officials. (PNA)
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