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BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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Tuesday, July 4, 2017
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MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte was urged to release the “full details” of his administration’s P8.4-trillion, six-year infrastructure spending program.
The administration sought to turn the Duterte presidency into the “Golden Age of Infrastructure” by pouring budget into the construction of more roads, railways and bridges.
“No President has ever invested that kind of money in infrastructure alone in such a short span [of time], and the huge funding has to come from somewhere,” said House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Lito Atienza (Buhay party-list).
Atienza encouraged the President to clarify during his State of the Nation Address on July 24 how his administration expects to finance the projects.
“There are actually so many big developments being wished for everywhere, we are not sure anymore if this or that particular project is just being kicked around or will actually be carried out,” said the former Manila City mayor.
The congressman cited the three-phase Light Rail Transit project in Metro Cebu.
Until now, people are at a loss whether or not the government will adopt the P50-billion project, Atienza said.
While he supports Duterte’s “aggressive” efforts in building new roads, bridges and railways, Atienza said the massive infrastructure spending must be spread out fairly and evenly to redress economic imbalances.
“We have to be able to move people and goods faster in the years ahead if we are to improve in a big way the overall economic productivity,” he said.
The government aims to steadily boost annual infrastructure spending from P795 billion in 2016 to P1.832 trillion by 2022.
In Metro Manila, the proposed P227-billion Mega Manila Subway, traversing Quezon City to Taguig City, aims to cut travel time.
In Visayas, the Department of Public Works and Highways plans to build bridges to link the provinces of Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros, and Cebu at an estimated cost of P50 billion.
In Mindanao, the Department of Transportation submitted to the National Economic and Development Authority a feasibility study for the P120-billion railway connecting the cities of Tagum, Davao and Digos./PN
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