President Marcos has widened the coverage of his directive to lower project costs to include other agencies delivering essential public services, beyond the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Marcos made the announcement yesterday before departing for South Korea to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, emphasizing the need to “honor public trust” as the administration faces heightened scrutiny over corruption issues.
The president, who earlier ordered the DPWH to align project costs with real market prices and reduce them by up to 50 percent, said the new policy would now also apply to the construction of farm-to-market roads, irrigation systems, classrooms, and hospitals.
The adjustments are projected to yield savings between P30 billion and P45 billion.
The directive now covers the Departments of Education, Agriculture, Interior and Local Government, Health, and Transportation, as well as the National Irrigation Administration and other relevant agencies.
Marcos also instructed the Bureau of Internal Revenue to recalibrate its priorities to ensure accountability for those involved in anomalous flood control projects.
“The savings we secure will go where they matter most: to programs that uplift families, support livelihoods, and strengthen communities. Because when our people grow in capability and confidence, the nation grows with them,” Marcos said in his pre-departure speech.
“A government that honors public trust. A nation that stands firm on integrity. This is our promise. And real change for every Filipino today and all generations to come,” he added.
The president assured the public that the reduction in project costs would become “the norm across government” without compromising quality.
“So, let me be clear: the quality of what we build will not be compromised. The only thing weakened will be corruption. This is the accountability our citizens deserve,” Marcos declared.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to fiscal discipline, saying, “This administration renewed a promise that guides all our actions: to guard every peso entrusted to us, and to return it to our people in the form of progress they can see and that they can feel. When funds are protected and spent with discipline, prices ease, opportunities grow, and communities thrive.”
Marcos’ directive comes amid mounting calls for a stronger anti-corruption drive following his order to investigate substandard and non-existent flood control projects during his fourth State of the Nation Address in July.
He has since established the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to lead the probe into the anomalies.
via Kyle Cunanan
