By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to cut the cost of construction materials for infrastructure projects by 50% to ensure the proper use of public funds.
Marcos announced on Saturday in his departure speech at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City before flying to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits.
He said the DPWH had discovered that the prices of certain materials, including asphalt, steel bars, and cement, were overpriced by up to 50%.
“Actually, there are some egregious examples where it’s even more than that,” he said.
“In order to ensure that the costs of DPWH will reflect the costs of the market and to ensure that the people’s money is correctly spent, I have directed the DPWH Secretary to bring down the cost of materials by as much as 50%, which will result in savings in the capital outlay spending of at least P30 to P45 billion,” Marcos added.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon earlier bared his plan to cut the cost of materials for its projects per region to address overpricing and ensure value for money in public works spending.
Marcos said the DPWH would file cases against individuals involved in anomalous infrastructure works as it continues reviewing projects and contracts.
“At the same time, the Bureau of Internal Revenue will recalibrate its priorities and ensure that all those found complicit in the irregularities surrounding flood control projects are held fully accountable under the law. We will uphold fairness in our tax system,” he said.
