Senate economic panel opens probe on ‘Build, Build, Build’
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate committee on economic affairs on Tuesday opened its probe into the Duterte administration’s massive “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program.
The inquiry, headed by committee chair Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, will tackle the “status, sustainability and risk of the multimillion projects under the BBB as well as the modes of financing the projects.”
The committee will also tackle issues raised by opposition Senator Leila de Lima in Senate Resolution No. 626 seeking a probe on the complete terms and conditions of loans entered into by the government to fund the BBB program to assess the “possible impact of such loans on our economy as well as national security.”
Among the invited resource persons on Tuesday’s hearing include National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Director General Ernesto Pernia, newly appointed Bangko Sentral Governor Benjamin Diokno, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Public Works and Highways Secretary, Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Director General Isidro Lapeña, and Transport Undersecretary Ruben Reynoso.
Other resource persons invited for the hearing are Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) President Vivencio Dizon, Public-Private Partnership Center (PPP) Executive Director Ferdinand Pecson, Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) President Dr. Rene Ofreneo, Ibon Foundation Research Head Rosario Bella Guzman and Calixto Chikiamco of the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF).
