Senate convenes hearing on infrastructure masterplan

The Senate Committee on Economic A?airs held a public hearing on Senate Bill No. 158, the Comprehensive Infrastructure Development Masterplan sponsored by Senator Joseph Victor ’JV’ G. Ejercito, and Senate Bill No. 439 - Build! Build! Build! Act by Senator Mark A. Villar.

The Infrastructure Masterplan aims to create a developed, integrated and coordinated infrastructure roadmap, all while ensuring the continuity of existing projects and plans. It will also serve as a blueprint for the di?erent departments of the government in the construction, upgrading, and improvement of the infrastructure projects in the next thirty years or more.

The Masterplan also identifies the initial core infrastructure projects to be given priority, provides various modalities for the implementation and financing of the projects, and defines the role of implementing agencies in the development of essential infrastructure systems and other basic overhead facilities in the country.

Some recommendations to further improve the measures were also given by the stakeholders such as (1) to update the initial list of core projects presented because some of the projects included may have been implemented or are already in the process of implementation; (2) to further define what critical infrastructure is; and, (3) to make sure the Masterplan is aligned with LGU and other programs and well-planned because thirty years is quite a long time. There was also a recommendation to include the private sector in the planning and the formulation of a Technical Working Group in drafting secular master plans.

PCCI President Mr. George T. Barcelon gave his full support of this measure. He said that this bill gives the private sector more leeway to compete and that this bill is very timely since we are very lagging behind our neighboring countries, especially in logistics and agriculture. --- Bea De Luna