The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ plan to build a new complex in New Clark City from its “own reserves,” first reported by a national newspaper, is drawing scrutiny for its timing and optics.

Former BSP governor and current Monetary Board member Benjamin Diokno said the project would “cost much less than P50 billion” and would not rely on the national budget under the General Appropriations Act. Instead, it will be financed entirely from reserves set aside in previous years.

He added that the 2026 National Expenditure Program does not carry any budget allocation for the project.

Diokno stressed that procurement will be competitive, contractors will be paid within 15 working days, and that the BSP maintains “zero corruption.”

While the central bank frames the relocation as a long-term resilience measure, the massive price tag appears detached from the day-to-day realities of Filipinos still grappling with rising costs, fiscal strains, and ongoing corruption controversies.

“The BSP has a legitimate argument about risk management, but it cannot ignore the optics. A P50-billion complex, however justified, looks insensitive at a time when people are furious over scams, inflation, and the misuse of public funds,” one financial markets analyst, who asked not to be named, told DAILY TRIBUNE.

Those concerns are amplified by the political climate. The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is currently investigating alleged irregularities in large flood-control projects, and against this backdrop, a multi-billion-peso headquarters for the central bank risks being perceived as tone-deaf — regardless of assurances that no taxpayer money will be spent.

Adding to the optics challenge are the economic indicators. Headline inflation accelerated to 1.5 percent in August from 1.1 percent in July, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Although this is well within the BSP’s 2-4 percent target range, the uptick still erodes household purchasing power when paired with wage stagnation and rising utility costs.

At the same time, government deficit data have swung widely this year, underscoring fiscal pressures that fuel public skepticism toward big-ticket institutional projects.

Even as debates over timing and necessity continue, work on the Clark complex is already advancing.

Procurement for the “restricted zone,” which will house the BSP’s new currency production facilities, is underway with an approved budget of P75.7 million for architectural and engineering consultancy.

Diokno, who chairs the Monetary Board committee overseeing construction, has expressed confidence that the project will proceed under the current BSP leadership.