Credit Where Credit is Due: Who Claims Recognition for Major Infrastructure Projects?

The recent passing of former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III shocked the nation. While it was well-known that he had been contending with certain health conditions for some time, the late former president receded from the public’s view after he stepped down from office. He even remained silent despite the bashful criticisms from the current administration’s supporters long after his term had ended.

After he had passed, numerous articles were published over the past week centered on how the Aquino government’s efforts significantly lifted the country’s economy. More importantly, however, it reignited the debate on who exactly should be credited for a majority of the infrastructure projects that the Filipino people are currently benefitting from — or will benefit from in the near future.

For months and years now, the Duterte administration has been claiming that most of the major developments that have recently been completed were simply part of its Build, Build, Build (BBB) program. On the other hand, the more demanding critics say that they merely inherited these projects from past administrations.

BBB was set to be the highlight of Duterte’s economic agenda where around ₱8.4 trillion would be allocated to fund infrastructure ventures. It had 75 projects waiting in the pipeline in what the government believed would bring about a new “golden age of infrastructure.” However, this turned out to be more difficult than they had expected.

Of the country’s yearly GDP, the Duterte government reports that it spends around 5% on infrastructure. While this is a significant percentage, it is still well below their original aim of 7.3% by 2022. Additionally, of the 75 projects that were initially being considered, only half of them remain to actually be feasible. This is what led to the evident credit-grabbing that’s being done today.

Among the most notable major infrastructure projects that Duterte’s administration has claimed credit for under its BBB include the Skyway Stage 3, the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), the Cebu-Cordova bridge, and the MRT-7. Most — if not all — of these were launched during Aquino’s term.

So, does this mean that these developments should fall under the late former president’s legacy? Well, not entirely. The fact of the matter is that PNoy was only there to approve the projects while Duterte simply attended the ribbon-cutting for the inauguration.

In all honesty, recognition should be given to the private sector entities that took part in the government’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP). They are the ones who persevered to see to it that these big-ticket infrastructure projects reached completion for the benefit of the public.

Take the newly opened Skyway Stage 3 for instance: the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was tasked with the vital role of providing right of way (ROW). However, the DPWH fell short during both Aquino’s and Duterte’s administrations leading to an increase in total costs. This prompted Ramon Ang and San Miguel Corp. to take over the negotiations for ROW and even settled the payments.

Now, the fresh stretch of road has massively helped in decongesting traffic along EDSA since it was made available to the public. Without it, motorists would have been robbed of valuable minutes and hours of their time just to get to their destination. The Skyway Stage 3 has also made travel between North and South a lot faster and more accessible, especially as it remains toll-free for the time being.

Recently, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) has also urged the government to mobilize private sector participation in infrastructure projects as part of their 42nd National Conference of Employers (NCE) Resolutions. The request is primarily driven by the very limited fiscal capacities under the global pandemic.

Moreover, this tripartite cooperation is essential as the employers committed to generating 1 million jobs. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) data, the unemployment rate in the country for April 2021 was at 8.7%. This has since improved to 7.7%, in May 2021, the second-lowest to be recorded this year, as the government’s pandemic restrictions eased.

Nonetheless, it’s alarming to see how infrastructure projects have been misconstrued to serve as political tools to gain praise in hopes of an administration appearing more successful. If people seek to give credit where credit is due, they need not look further than the private sector.

References: PhilStar, Rappler, Manila Bulletin, BusinessWorld, The Business Times