A dismal failure?

No, it hasn’t been and I don’t think Senator Franklin Drilon meant it literally. Only to show that it had not met its ambitious goals.

The numbers alone say it’s been quite a success. During the past fifty years, infrastructure spending has averaged only about 2.8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). You’ve probably noticed it as you crawl through the overcrowded, inadequate streets of Manila. And store pails of water to keep you going through waterless days (no fault of the water companies). Rail at previous governments they are entirely to blame. This is much lower than the 5 percent average for other Association of Southeast Asian Nation’s (ASEAN) 5 members. And because of it we’ve fallen far behind.

In the three years of Duterte, infrastructure spending as a percentage of GDP has doubled as a percent of GDP. In the last full year (2015) of Aquino, the government spent P436 billion. Last year the Duterte administration spent P803.6 billion, almost double. It was 5.1 percent of GDP last year and the government intends to raise this to 7 percent by 2022. That can’t be considered a failure.

It’s true that government hasn’t met its original plans and goals, but what government ever does. Mind you, it could have done better if the House of Representatives hadn’t stopped infrastructure spending for six months with its attempt to capture pork barrel. And if congress had approved the Emergency Powers Duterte requested at the beginning of his term. I note Rep. Salceda is reviving it. It may be late in the game, it should have been done two years ago but congress should provide that law even now. Given that bureaucratic convolution and legal shenanigans delay projects for no good reason. Courts delaying takeover of needed land with TRO’s isn’t helping. And that despite the constitution allows it with a Right-of-Way (ROW) law that gives government eminent domain. Mind you, as I’ve long argued, government should pay double fair market value. Generously compensate the land owner for the disruption in their life. It’s cheap compared to the high cost of delay. The Chief Justice may want to look into why courts accept TRO’s on takeover of land for the national good and stop it. That could be a wise early action in his post. Let the few that have any merit be accepted by the Supreme Court only—and then with great reluctance. And then decided swiftly. Which means weeks, not months. Or, as happens far too often, years.

The nightmare that is Manila traffic can no longer be tolerated. It’s becoming impossible to do business. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said 5 years ago the country is losing some P3.5 billion a day due to the hellish, unbearable traffic. This could increase to P5.4 billion per day if no significant solutions (i.e. completion of major mass transport systems such as the Manila subway) are implemented. It’s becoming insufferable for workers to get to their job. It’s Manila (the Greater Manila Area) that is the dismal failure, not the BUILD, BUILD, BUILD program. It’s a group of cities no one can any longer live in in a half-way decent manner. Three to six hours of commute just to do a job is inhuman. One hour to traverse Makati, God knows (and you never do) how many hours to traverse EDSA. Hell for those of you that are going there (and that includes the idiot(s) who designed and authorized a one-lane ramp from SLEX to Alabang). Creating a third lane was a clever solution, but more lanes need to be added as a real solution.

One thing the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Transportation (DOTr) could do with little effort to speed things up is to outsource. Contract truly independent contractors to help them to develop the detail of a project, prepare the Terms of Reference and Requests for Proposals. I’d use only foreign experts for two reasons: One, they’ll be demonstrably, provably independent. Two, they’ll have the experience and expertise of doing similar work elsewhere that we could benefit from.

Congress should rush (rush means before Christmas) passage of the Public Services Act so foreign companies can be brought in to build much of what we need. And pass the Emergency Powers bill. Our local companies are doing a great job, but they are overstretched now. And with so many projects to do outside help would be welcome, particularly if getting them started can be speeded up as above.

Let’s make BUILD, BUILD, BUILD the real success it could be.

E-mail: wallace_likeitis@wbf.ph