DoTr refutes Drilon on Build, Build, Build
Credit to Author: Ma. Lisbet K. Esmael| Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2019 16:38:18 +0000
THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) refuted on Thursday the claim of a legislator that the current regime’s massive infrastructure initiative was a “dismal failure.”
In a statement, the DoTr denounced Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon’s statement against President Rodrigo Duterte’s Build, Build, Build (BBB) program.
“[T]he DOTr maintains it is grossly unfair to assess the success of the program by merely looking at the implementation of the flagship projects — many of which require immense pre-construction work such as right-of-way (ROW) acquisition and community resettlement,” it said.
Drilon recently mocked President Duterte’s flagship infrastructure projects, saying only 2 percent or nine of the original 75 projects have started construction.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) earlier said the list was boosted to 100 developments from the previous 75. The revised list now demands at least P4.2 trillion, doubled from the investment requirement of P2.40 trillion for the original 75 projects.
The DoTr stressed, however, that the focus should not just be set on the “flagship” projects, given that the multi-trillion program has thousands of infrastructure developments.
“While an initial number of these projects were considered as “flagship,” it should be noted that thousands of others with impact to local communities leaves very little doubt of their significance and value have also been implemented under the BBB Program,” the department added.
It said in the aviation and airports sector alone, the DoTr and its attached agencies have completed 64 airport projects under the Duterte administration with 133 more ongoing. For railways, meanwhile, it has six projects with ongoing construction and one undergoing rehabilitation.