Senate panel Oks DPWH P165-B outlay for 2013

The Senate Finance Committee approved on Monday and will submit for plenary deliberations the proposed 2013 budget of the Department of Social Public Works and Highways (DPWH) amounting P165.57 billion, 32 percent bigger than its current budget of P125.74 billion, said its chairman Senator Franklin M. Drilon.

Primarily, the 2013 expenditures program of the DPWH, said Drilon, will support the rehabilitation and pavement of all 31,242 national and secondary roads which the government targets to be finished by 2014 and 2016, respectively; as well as the construction and rehabilitation of bridges in the country.

"For 2013, a huge amount of P130.64 billion is allotted to pave and rehabilitate all roads and bridges nationwide which is a commitment by the Aquino administration to improve our infrastructure to attract local and foreign investors," said Drilon.

Of the amount, P12 billion is also earmarked for the construction and widening of 623.8 kilometers access roads to declared and strategic tourist destinations.

"The efforts being undertaken by the Department of Tourism to promote the 'it is more fun in the Philippines' campaign must be complemented by the DPWH by way of improving our access roads to different tourist destinations from North to South of the country," said Drilon.

Drilon also said that a substantial amount of P18.22 billion will go for the implementation of various flood control projects throughout the country which basically include the construction and rehabilitation of flood control projects such as dikes, seawall, slope protection and creeks within 20 major river basins and 376 principal river basins.

"We need to intensify these flood control projects to mitigate flooding in low-lying areas, and to provide safety to motorists and commuters," said Drilon.

"Dito lang sa Kamaynilaan, umihi lang ang palaka, nagbabaha na kaagad. Marami sa mga kababayan natin ang naaabala nang husto at na-i-stranded sa gitna ng baha. Marami rin sa mga klase ang nasususpinde dahil sa mabilis na pagbaha," said Drilon.

All these, he added, hopefully will be firmly addressed with the huge budget the government allocated for our main infrastructure agency.

Drilon also stressed that a good portion of the funding for all DPWH projects will come from locally-generated funds amounting P124.86 billion, and only P15.73 billion will be sourced from foreign-assisted projects.