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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH 'under-invested' in transport infrastructure in last 30 years--DOTr exec

PH 'under-invested' in transport infrastructure in last 30 years--DOTr exec

Published Sep 4, 2023 06:54 am

At A Glance

  • Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary Timothy Batan admitted before the House Committee on Appropriations Monday, Sept. 4 that the government has "severely under-invested in transport infrastructure" during the past 30 years. 

IMG-764393bb0876469a0892576866b331d7-V.jpgDOTr Undersecretary Timothy Batan (Screenshot from YouTube live)

An official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) admitted before the House Committee on Appropriations Monday, Sept. 4 that the government has "severely under-invested in transport infrastructure" during the past 30 years.

"We have severely under-invested in transport infrastructure in the last three decades," DOTr Undersecretary Timothy Batan said during the agency's 2024 budget hearing.

"For example po, the average po na investment natin in infrastructure (our average investment in infrastructure) for the last three decades has only been between 1.5 [and] 2 percent," he said.

"The current administration po is targeting to bring that up to 5 to 6 percent and ito pong catch-up investment po na ito (and this catch-up investment) is precisely intended in order po to close that transport infrastructure gap that we are currently facing," added Batan.

Before this, Batan was asked by ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro whether or not he thinks there's a transport crisis due to the low level of budget and utilization.

When Castro asked if the "transport infrastructure" Batan was referring to involved road, bridges ,and railways, the latter answered in the affirmative.

%Yes po madam chair, that is the largest part po of our infrastructure capital outlay. Again, for which, in the last three decades we've only averaged at below 2 percent in investing in."

Castro, a deputy minority leader, said that she personally thinks there's a transport crisis.

"Dapat yung ating bina-budgetan ay yung mga programs and projects to move people. Kaya lang talagang may transport crisis po tayo in terms of public transportation. At kagaya ng sinabi ni [Kabataan Party-list] Cong Raoul Manuel kanina, mas ano tayo eh, moving cars and not moving people," she said.

(What we should be allocating budget for are programs and projects that move people. That's why we really have a transport crisis in terms of public transportation. And like what Cong Raoul Manuel said earlier, we're more focused on moving cars and not moving people.)

At any rate, Batan said that for the DOTr, "The priority is always the commuting public po, our commuters, the public po."

Related Tags

ACT Teachers party list Department of Transportation act teachers party-list FRANCE CASTRO
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