Manila: The country's economic team is pushing for faster procurement and implementation of government projects and programs to deliver tangible benefits to Filipinos.
According to Philippines News Agency, during a briefing with the Senate Committee on Finance on the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Acting Secretary Kim Robert de Leon expressed the government's commitment to accelerating infrastructure projects while maintaining robust safeguards for fund utilization. De Leon assured lawmakers that infrastructure spending would be expedited without compromising the existing safeguards in budgeting, procurement, accounting, and auditing processes designed to protect public funds.
De Leon emphasized, "We are not proposing any relaxation of safeguards. In fact, we want more safeguards," responding to concerns about potential easing of controls on audits and validations to hasten government spending. He further remarked that the focus should be on hastening implementation and procurement, as the challenge lies in execution rather than in the safeguards themselves. De Leon pointed out delays in procurement, awarding, and implementation of already-funded infrastructure projects as immediate challenges needing address.
The economic managers are working towards a recovery in infrastructure activity beginning in the third quarter of 2026. De Leon noted that the DBM has already made available the necessary allotments for the Department of Public Works and Highways to advance its projects. The primary objective is not merely to increase or accelerate spending, but to ensure appropriated funds translate into "well-planned, properly implemented, and beneficial infrastructure projects."
Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan highlighted the necessity to fast-track implementation and convert reforms into tangible outcomes. "Our direction remains anchored in the Philippine Development Plan. Over the administration's final two years, the focus is on accelerating execution, resolving implementation bottlenecks, and translating reforms into concrete results," Balisacan stated.
Finance Secretary Finance Go pledged responsible fiscal management through enhanced revenues, prudent expenditure management, and creating fiscal buffers against future shocks. He emphasized the importance of directing government resources towards investments that generate jobs and create lasting economic value. "Our national budget can work harder if we invest in programs and projects that can help shape our future. We must look beyond the present and invest in high multiplier programs and projects that create lasting economic value, those that create jobs," he said.
