Senator Chiz Escudero said local governments and communities should have a stronger voice in deciding which infrastructure projects are included in the national budget.
Citing numerous cases of “ghost” and substandard flood control projects, Escudero said these abuses often stem from arbitrary budget insertions made without proper consultation or review.
“Sa dami ng mga lumitaw na problema sa mga government infrastructure projects kabilang na ang mga substandard at ‘ghost’ flood control projects, kailangan talaga na gumawa ng makabuluhan na solusyon para hindi na nasasayang ang pera ng bayan sa katiwalian,” he said.
To fix this, Escudero filed the Grassroots Infrastructure Planning and Budgeting Act, which requires that all projects be endorsed by the Regional and Local Development Councils before being included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) and funded in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
“Pag walang endorsement o approval ng RDC, walang pera na ilalabas ang DBM para sa anumang proyekto,” the senator stressed.
He urged Congress to prioritize the measure, saying it will curb corruption, prevent waste, and ensure infrastructure funds address real community needs.IMT
