Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno on Wednesday said he’s not aware of the President’s reported dissatisfaction over the slow implementation of “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) projects in the provinces, but admitted there could be delays in the actual negotiation and signing of China-funded projects.
Diokno told the BusinessMirror that his observation was based on a side-to-side comparison he made between Japan and China-funded projects for the Duterte administration’s massive infrastructure buildup program.
The budget chief mentioned the Philippine National Railway’s (PNR) South railway rehabilitation and restoration project funded by China. “Between Japan and China, China is slower,” he said. “In the sense that there should have serious discussion already with the PNR [project].”
China has also promised to finish the PNR project before the President’s term expires in 2022.
The revival of PNR south railway stretching from Paco, Manila, to Matnog, Sorsogon, will be funded by a loan from China amounting to P175 billion payable in 20 years at 2-percent interest per annum.
This is one of the flagship projects under the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program.
But he told the BusinessMirror that he did not yet voice this concern to the President.
Asked on what’s the cause of the delay, Diokno said: “I don’t know, but that is the problem of [Foreign Secretary Allan Peter] S. Cayetano and the Chinese government.”
Pressed if has anything to do with the West Philippine Sea dispute, Diokno said he’s not inclined to speculate.
Presidential Spokesman Harry L. Roque Jr. said earlier this week that the President observed a “weaker implementation” of BBB projects in the provinces.
Roque also said that the President is already growing impatient with the projects’ implementation and that he is sure that he will be reminding Cabinet members to fast-track project implementation.
Diokno added the President “maybe impatient,” but infrastructure projects are not easy to embark upon, especially the big ones. “It is not possible that you make a train, then it will be immediately there tomorrow. We have to have a feasibility study, detailed engineering, there is a process there,” he said.
Under the BBB program, 75 infrastructure projects are expected to be rolled out with a total budget of around P8 trillion to P9 trillion to usher in what the Duterte administration calls the “golden age of infrastructure.”