Drilon’s BBB remark based on outdated report

Three years after President Duterte took office, 9,845 kilometers of road, 2,709 bridges, 4,536 flood control projects, 82 evacuation centers, and 71,803 classrooms have been completed, according to Salvador Panelo. #BBB #BuildBuildBuild

Construction of the new Passenger Terminal Building of Clark International Airport is 87.61% complete as of 9 November 2019, according to the DoTr. (DoTr)

Malacañang on Wednesday denied that the government’s Build Build Build (BBB) Program is a failure even as a Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) official said Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon cited an outdated BBB report.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador S. Panelo enumerated 10 completed BBB projects namely NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, Governor Miranda Bridge (Davao del Norte), Laguna Lake Highway, Pigalo Bridge, TPLEX-Pozorrubio, Bohol-Panglao International Airport, Cagayan de Oro Passenger Terminal Building, Cavite Gateway Terminal, Communications Navigation System/Air Traffic Management and New Clark City.

“Three years after President Duterte took office, Secretary of Public Works and Highways Mark Villar reported the completion of 9,845 kilometers of road, 2,709 bridges, 4,536 flood control projects, 82 evacuation centers, and 71,803 classrooms,” Panelo added.

Panelo was reacting to Sen. Drilon’s statement that only nine of the 75 flagship programs of the Duterte administration have started construction and it will have a hard time completing all programs with barely three years left on its term.

“Senator Drilon is either too lethargic to get his facts straight or is unable to contain the opposition’s penchant to foist false narratives. The facts can not be any clearer. At the outset, there has been a 12.7% construction growth from 2016 to 2018,” he said.

Panelo added that there are 35 constructions ongoing, 32 projects to commence construction within 6 to 8 months, 21 are in the advanced stages of government approval and 12 in the advanced stages of feasibility studies.

Among those already undergoing construction are the LRT 1 Cavite Extension (Baclaran-Cavite), MRT-3 rehabilitation, Metro Manila Subway, MRT-7 Common Station, LRT-2 East Extension, PNR Clark, Sangley Airport, NAIA Rehabilitation, and Clark Airport Construction.

There are also 38 projects that will be completed by 2022, 22 will be partially operational or at substantial completion, and 40 are to be completed beyond 2022, Panelo said.

BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer and Presidential Adviser for Flagship Programs and Projects Vivencio Dizon said the initial report handed by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) to the Senate was still several months ago and has not been updated yet.

“But now, what we are saying is, there is a revised list. And out of the revised list, this is the status,” Dizon added referring to the list of completed and ongoing projects that Panelo enumerated.

Dizon said out of the 100 flagship projects under the BBB infrastructure program, 35 are currently under construction, 32 are set to commence construction in 6 to 8 months, 21 are in advanced stages of government approval and 12 are in advanced stages of feasibility studies.

Meanwhile, House Committee on Ways and Means Chairperson Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda on Wednesday filed a bill that would give President Rodrigo Duterte special powers for three years to expedite the implementation of BBB projects.

Among the special powers provided under House Bill 5456 or the “Flagship Emergency Act of 2019” are the easing of rigidities on procurement and right of way acquisition which slow down the implementation of infrastructure projects.

The bill cites Section 23 Article VI of the 1987 Constitution as legal basis for Congress to grant the president special powers for a limited period and subject to restrictions.

“The President is hereby granted Special Powers to urgently utilize all necessary government resources, exercise police power, and employ executive actions and measures to ensure the effective implementation, reconfiguration, and harmonization of national and local government projects intended to address the economic growth, unhampered by existing laws, agreements, regulations, court orders, and procedures that would cause delay in addressing exclusively the implementation of flagship projects,” Section 4 of the bill states.

The bill also designates Dizon as flagship project manager with the power to modify, amend, or expand the functions of permit issuing agencies, to override their permits and licenses, including ordinances of affected local government units, land and home owners association.

Dizon also is given the power to integrate different procurement modes in easing the implementation of the program; to transfer and relocate affected communities; to enter into a joint venture agreement or other agreements, negotiation, compromise; to construct structures or implement roadworks that would improve traffic flow affected by the construction of the projects; and to reclaim and relocate the current occupant free of charge but subject to applicable resettlement laws and policies, all properties owned by or forming part of the right of way and to acquire any land or property for the purpose of developing future projects, in order to minimize cost of acquisition.

The bill further proposes an initial amount necessary for the implementation to be sourced from the current year’s budget of the concerned agencies implementing the act and from savings of the national government.

At a press conference, Salceda said instead of giving the Department of Tranportation emergency powers over traffic crisis, Congress should give the president power over infrastructure flagship projects. With Keith Calayag and Francis Wakefield