In a bid to reach more Filipinos, especially those who are more adept at our national language, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary and former Build, Build, Build committee chair Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo will release the Filipino edition of Night Owl.
“Night Owl: Edisyong Filipino” is the Filipino translated version of Lamentillo’s first book that details the infrastructure accomplishments of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, particularly those of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under then Secretary Mark A. Villar.
“We want more Filipinos to know about and understand the importance of the infrastructure projects implemented by the Duterte administration under the Build, Build, Build program. The roads, bridges, classrooms, flood control structures, evacuation centers, airport and seaport projects that were completed have improved the lives of our citizens and opened many opportunities for them,” said Lamentillo.
“We want to share to more Filipinos the story behind these projects, because this is their story, the story of our nation—the toils and challenges we had to overcome to be able to connect not only communities, but our islands, and Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao,” she added.
The book is a report on the Duterte Administration’s Build, Build, Build program, particularly 29,264 kilometers of roads; 5,950 bridges; 11,340 flood mitigation structures; 222 evacuation centers; 150,149 classrooms; 214 airport projects; and 451 seaport projects built over a period of five years.
It narrates how the DPWH, under the leadership of Secretary Villar, was able to overcome the challenges of right-of-way, ghost projects, and unmet deadlines by using technology and strengthening transparency and accountability measures.
Also included is a chapter on the digital infrastructure program of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. under the Build Better More thrust—which will build on the gains of Build, Build, Build while incorporating a strong digital infrastructure program to ensure that all Filipinos will have access to affordable and reliable internet—which will provide Filipinos not only opportunities to learn new technologies but also access to online learning, telemedicine, online banking, and other digital services.
Night Owl: Edisyong Filipino is authored by Lamentillo, edited by Richard de Leon, and published by the Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation.