Marcos to simplify processes for public infrastructure, touts accomplishments

THE MARCOS administration has vowed to simplify processes for public infrastructure projects as it touted its accomplishments last year.

“We will continue to purge the government of rules that slow the delivery of public services because when projects get delayed, progress is denied to our people,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said in a statement issued by his office.

“And this commitment to efficiency and service will extend to documents and licenses because service delayed is also service denied,” he added.

The Palace said the Marcos administration last year built 33 additional specialty centers, over 2,000 classrooms and seven additional cold chain facilities.

The government completed eight water supply projects “with 147 additional water projects being implemented for 2024,” it added.

It said the Marcos government was also able to facilitate renewable energy contracts with a total potential capacity of around 121,000 megawatts.

An increase in public infrastructure spending along with private consumption spending and remittances are expected to drive the Philippines’ economic expansion next year, S&P Global Asia-Pacific chief economist Rajiv Biswas said in a report last month.

S&P Global Market Intelligence expects the Philippine economy to grow by 5.6% next year.

The Philippine government aims to sustain annual spending on infrastructure at 5%-6% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) under its development plan from 2023 to 2028.

The government sought to spend 5.3% of its GDP or about P1.29 trillion on infrastructure last year.

Last year, Mr. Marcos issued an Executive Order streamlining the permitting process for the construction of telecommunications and Internet infrastructure in the country. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza