Senator Win Gatchalian has filed a bill seeking to establish a 30-year infrastructure masterplan to ensure maximum return on investment and to prevent the insertion of redundant or low-impact projects into the budget.
Aside from preventing budget insertions, Senate Bill 1652, or the proposed Masterplan for Infrastructure and National Development (MIND) Act, seeks to ensure that vital projects continue without disruption even under new administrations.
The measure also aims to focus spending on high-impact infrastructure that delivers the greatest returns for Filipino taxpayers.
“With infrastructure taking a bigger piece of the budgetary pie, we need to ensure that every peso is spent on projects that truly benefit ordinary Filipinos.”
“We need to lock in the country’s development goal and lock out political interference. With infrastructure taking a bigger piece of the budgetary pie, we need to ensure that every peso is spent on projects that truly benefit ordinary Filipinos,” said Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance.
The veteran legislator noted that from 2022 to 2025, budget allocations for national infrastructure projects grew by an average of 7.9% annually, based on Department of Budget and Management data.
“Kapag ang masterplan ay naka angkla sa batas, hindi ito madaling palitan.”
“Kapag ang masterplan ay naka angkla sa batas, hindi ito madaling palitan at maipagpapatuloy ang mga importanteng imprastraktura kahit na magpalit-palit pa ang mga nasa pwesto,” the seasoned lawmaker concluded.
