President Rodrigo Duterte has conferred the Order of Lakandula with the Rank of Grand Cross (Bayani) to outgoing Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III for his exemplary service to the nation.

The Order of Lakandula recognized Dominguez’s help and contribution to the success of President Duterte’s infrastructure modernization program “Build, Build, Build” as it is only awarded to distinguished persons of political and civic merit.

“I accepted the Order of Lakandula rank of Bayani (Grand Cross) on behalf of the DOF team. Your hard work made this possible,” Dominguez said.

The honor is in memory of Lakandula's dedication to the responsibilities of leadership, prudence, fortitude, courage and resolve in the service of one's people.

Aside from Dominguez, the President also conferred the Order of Lakandula with the Rank of Grand Cross to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and the other members of the government’s infrastructure team.

They are Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Presidential Adviser on Flagship Programs and Projects Vivencio Dizon.

Dominguez and his fellow “Build, Build, Build” team members received the honors in ceremonies held at Malacañan Palace late Thursday, June 16.

The Duterte presidency was able to reverse the government’s chronic underspending on infrastructure by raising the spending on this sector to above five percent of the gross domestic product, double the level recorded by the previous four administrations.

Infrastructure investments on the last stretch of the Duterte administration is targeted to reach 5.9 percent this year, Dominguez earlier said.

During Dominguez’s tenure as Secretary of Finance, the DOF worked closely with the Congress to pass into law the country’s most comprehensive tax reform program (CTRP) ever, which significantly reduced income taxes for both individuals and corporations.

These game-changing measures, particularly the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, has provided the government with a steady revenue stream to support the country’s unprecedented “Build, Build, Build” program.

Under Dominguez’s leadership, the DOF was able to effectively implement President Duterte’s policy of fiscal discipline and responsibility, which earned for the country its highest credit ratings that were sustained even amid the pandemic.

This, in turn, enabled the government to access highly concessional financing from its bilateral and multilateral partners for its “Build, Build, Build” projects, including the country’s single biggest infrastructure project and first-ever underground railway system—the Metro Manila Subway.