As the Senate continues the deliberations on the proposed P5.268-trillion national budget for 2023, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano questioned the spending priorities of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) noting that the agency seems to be more focused on maintaining existing infrastructure than building new roads and bridges, as reflected in its budget proposal.
The DPWH has a proposed P737.36-billion budget, which Cayetano said is inconsistent with the Marcos administration’s “Build Better More” infrastructure program.
One-third of the DPWH’s budget, the senator noted, would be spent on maintenance and repair works.
“Kung ia-add ko lahat ng individual items para sa maintenance at rehabilitation, mahigit P200-billion na (If I add all the individual items for maintenance and rehabilitation, that’s almost P200-billion),” Cayetano said during the deliberations on Tuesday, November 15.
“So it’s like almost a third of the budget. This is not a ‘Build Better More’ budget, this is a ‘Maintenance Pa More’ budget,” the senator said.
According to Cayetano, the appropriation for DPWH’s asset preservation program worth P90.48-billion for 2023 and its P166.22-billion flood management program dwarf the funds intended for the public works agency’s network development and bridge building programs at around P140-billion.
“Parang sa maintenance napupunta y’ung 2023 budget. At saka y’ung trend, imbes na to build new networks and to have a program to expand infrastructure, parang sa flood control ‘tsaka sa maintenance nako-concentrate yung pera (It seems that the 2023 budget goes to maintenance. And then there's the trend, instead of building new networks and having a program to expand infrastructure, it seems like the agency is concentrating the money on flood control and maintenance),” he said.
The lawmaker also said that these budget priorities have become more pronounced over the last two years and much of the agency’s larger budget categories are also intended for maintenance, repair and retrofitting works.
“Is there something wrong with the kind of public works we do? Kasi kung parang one is to one na y’ung bago sa pine-preserve mo, ibig sabihin, either hindi maganda y’ung pagkagawa or napakaluma na (Because if the new one you are preserving is like one is to one, it means that either the workmanship is not good or it is very old),” he said.
Cayetano said DPWH should stick to the current administration’s expansionary program for infrastructure development, or they should inform the President that the agency will have to prioritize repair and maintenance.
“Sure we need to maintain roads but we also need a lot of new roads especially going to the tourist sites,” the lawmaker stressed.