Senator Marcos: Not campaigning but helping Aquino administration

DIGOS CITY, Philippines—Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday downplayed speculation he was on early campaign mode for 2016, justifying his increasing trips to the provinces as part of his effort “to help this administration.”

He said that being the chair of both the Senate committees on local governance and public works necessitated his gathering local government perspectives on ways to improve the national government’s vital sectors, such as those covered by his committees.

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

“Local officials are considered experts of their own territory and have an affinity to their community (and they) ought to be consulted first on the issues and concerns hovering over them,” Marcos said during a meeting with Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental officials here.

Better solution

Oftentimes, he said, local leaders “know better solutions that can best address these concerns.”

Marcos said that one thing he had been discussing with local leaders was the need to have a national infrastructure development plan.

“As chair of the infrastructure and local governance committees, I am trying to help this administration have a national infrastructure development plan,” Marcos said.

He said infrastructure had a direct effect on a nation’s economy and social underpinnings.

Sad thing

“The country’s lack of jobs elicits the need to build infrastructure that would provide a framework for both the public and private sectors, for them to develop new economic activities,” Marcos said, adding that by infrastructure, he was not just referring to roads, bridges and school buildings but also power generation, communications and transportation.

The sad thing, he said, was that the Philippines continued to spend little on infrastructure development, unlike other Asian countries.

“In the last few years, the national government has only allocated an average of 2.5 percent for infrastructure development from its annual GDP. Although it will be doubled to 5 percent in the next two years, we still lag behind our neighboring economically successful countries around the Asean and Asia, who are spending 8 to 12 percent of their GDP for infrastructure development,” he said.

Increase local IRA

Marcos said he also supported the call of local officials to increase their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).

He said this could be done by including all national government collections in the calculation for the 40-percent IRA share of LGUs and not just the collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

“It should include all total collections of the national government, such as VAT and taxes from the Bureau of Customs,” he said.

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