Senator Risa Hontiveros pushed for a 30-year national infrastructure plan aimed at stopping defective, wasteful and corruption-prone projects before billions of pesos in public funds are released.
Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, led the hearing in Manila on Thursday, July 16, on bills creating the Masterplan on Infrastructure and National Development Act.
The proposed MIND Act would require a Comprehensive Infrastructure Development Master Plan covering the next three decades. It would set long-term goals, establish standards and clarify agency roles in planning and implementation.
Hontiveros said the measure could address weaknesses exposed by the flood-control scandal and stop questionable projects during the planning stage.
“Ito ang paraan para pigilan na ang pagpondo sa multi-billion pesos worth of government infrastructure projects na palpak, walang silbi, hindi pinag-isipan, sira kaagad o imbes na solusyunan ang problema sa lugar ay lalong pang pinalala,” she said.
She said the reforms could prevent funding for projects that fail quickly, serve little purpose or worsen the problems they were supposed to solve. Earlier scrutiny would help agencies catch flawed proposals before construction begins.
Senate Bill 1652 was filed by Senate President Win Gatchalian. Similar measures came from Senators JV Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, Erwin Tulfo and Joel Villanueva.
Ejercito said the scandal exposed fragmented planning, weak project traceability and poor monitoring. Tulfo said a permanent master plan would keep infrastructure programs moving when administrations change and improve the use of public resources.
Government representatives supported the bills. Public Works Undersecretary Lara Esquibil backed planning for asset preservation and funding for feasibility studies and other pre-construction work.
Agriculture Undersecretary Arrey Perez said the DA already has an infrastructure master plan but is struggling to handle farm-to-market roads after their abrupt transfer. Some projects will temporarily go to the DPWH and local governments while the DA builds its capacity, which Perez said may take three years.
