Villar says DPWH doing best to reach poorest provinces

Mark Villar —JOAN BONDOC

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar on Wednesday said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is trying its best to reach the poorest regions and provinces for infrastructure programs.

Villar made this statement during the House of Representatives appropriations committee’s deliberation on the DPWH’s proposed 2018 budget, which Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate criticized as having too little allotment for poorer regions and provinces.

“Kung titingnan ang prioritization niyo dito, napakaliit ng nakukuhang budget ng mga pinakamahirap na rehiyon,” Zarate said.

Zarate also cited a study from Ibon Foundation that government infrastructure projects are built on regions and provinces with good business environment.

“Inuuna ang kapakinabangan ng mga malalaking negosyo,” Zarate said.

Villar said the department tries its best to equitably allocate the budget among the districts of lawmakers in each region and province, especially in the poorest areas.

“I think individually, each congressmen in each region and district we identified, kung ano yung mga projects consistent with the national program of the DPWH and this is what we fund,” Villar said.

“We try to be equitable as much as possible, but of course there are many considerations… But rest assured, we always endeavor to try to give as much emphasis as possible. The objective is to bring progress in poorest areas,” he added.

The DPWH has a proposed 2018 budget of P630.2 billion, higher than its approved 2017 budget of P454.7 billion.

According to regional expenditures, the five regions with the lowest allocation i the expenditure program are – Cordillera Administrative Region (P6.5 billion), Zamboanga Peninsula (P7.7 billion), P7.78 billion (Soccsksargen), Caraga (P7.88 billion), Cagayan Valley (P8.6 billion), and Mimaropa (P9.09 billion).

The highest allocation went to the National Capital Region with P25.09 billion, followed by Calabarzon with P20.16 billion, Central Luzon with P19.28 billion, and Bicol region with P15.85 billion.