Palace: Duterte wants swifter implementation of Build, Build, Build projects

President Rodrigo Duterte wanted swifter implementation of the government’s ambitious infrastructure program aimed at generating nearly two million jobs by the end of his term in 2022, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Duterte did not name specific projects that were delayed or being slowly implemented but  “many” projects are still in the drawing board, according to presidential spokesman Harry Roque.

“He is never contented. He wants it faster and he wants the projects, the BBB [Build, Build, Build] projects in the provinces implemented faster,” Roque said at a press briefing in Davao City.

“Now, pero iyong clarification din po talaga ni [Socioeconomic Planning] Secretary [Ernesto] Pernia, there’s specific region na talagang dapat mapabilis amongst them is ARMM [Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao] and two other regions that Secretary Pernia mentioned,” he added.

Duterte, in a speech in Davao City last Friday, lamented that projects in the provinces were barely progressing unlike in Metro Manila.

Under the Build, Build, Build program, the Duterte administration aims to spend around $158 billion over the next five years for ports, airports, roads, railways, energy facilities, irrigation systems, and flood control facilities.

For this year, the national government has allocated P1.1 trillion for infrastructure development.

The massive infrastructure spending is being financed in part by proceeds from the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law, which has been blamed by some groups for the uptick in consumer prices in recent months.

Inflation hit its highest level in five years at 4.6 percent in May, prompting the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas last week to hike interest rates by another 0.25 basis points to 3.5 percent from 3.25 percent. —KG, GMA News