Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday called on the executive department to accelerate responsible infrastructure spending in the second half of the year, saying it is needed to help pump-prime the economy.
His appeal came after Department of Budget and Management (DBM) data showed government infrastructure spending fell by 51 percent year-on-year in April, dropping to P41.5 billion from P85.8 billion in the same period last year.
The decline marked the fourth straight month of contraction, extending a slump that has persisted since the flood control projects corruption scandal in the second half of 2025.
“Itong infrastructure spending ang may pinakamalaking multiplier effect para sa pagpapaunlad ng ating ekonomiya. Kung ma-de-delay ang mga mahahalagang infrastructure projects ng bansa, na-de-delay din ang pagkakataon nating makapagbigay ng trabaho sa ating mga kababayan. Kailangan nating makabawi para mas gumanda ang paglago ng ekonomiya
(Infrastructure spending is the biggest multiplier effect to boost our economy. If the construction of vital infrastructure projects is delayed, we also delay the chance of providing jobs to our countrymen. We need to speed up with the construction to drive growth to the economy),” Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian stressed that while budget oversight and anti-corruption safeguards remain necessary, these should not stall the country’s infrastructure development programs.
He said public works and capital outlays have become more urgent amid the economic slowdown recorded in the first quarter of the year.
Last week, Gatchalian and Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, the new chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, met with DBM Secretary Kim Robert de Leon to discuss ways to maximize the use of public funds ahead of deliberations on the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.
According to the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau (PRIB), the meeting sought to evaluate existing systems to identify and eliminate overlapping agency projects and redundant budget lines. It also tackled mechanisms to strengthen fiscal transparency and improve project tracking across all branches of government.
The panel agreed that tighter control systems must be put in place to prevent fund anomalies, including insertions.