Senator’s Infra Master Plan Aims to Create Jobs

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito filed Senate Bill No. 158 in July of 2022, seeking to establish a Comprehensive Infrastructure Development Master Plan that will also provide job opportunities to Filipinos.

The proposed plan would be drafted by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and monitored by a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee and will cover various areas of development, including transportation and logistics, energy, water resources, information and communications technology, social infrastructure, agri-fisheries modernization and food logistics, and asset preservation and maintenance strategies.

Ejercito said that the government should have a long-term infrastructure development master plan to ensure continuity and quality in the implementation of infrastructure projects despite changes in administration.

“We are here today to help our government craft a long-term infrastructure development master plan by providing legislative guidelines to ensure continuity of high-quality integrated infrastructure projects,” Ejercito said.

The proposed plan aims to harmonize the government’s competing infrastructure priorities and provide legislative guidelines to achieve this goal.

Ejercito also said that infrastructure development is critical in fostering economic growth and development, and that investing in infrastructure leads to higher foreign and local investments, job opportunities, and efficient government services.

“Infrastructure is vital to foster economic development. When countries invest in infrastructure, it leads to higher foreign and local investments, job opportunities, and efficient government services,”

He launched this proposal in response to the state of the country’s major infrastructure programs, which he described as inconsistent and disorganized. He also emphasized the need for a comprehensive master plan as a blueprint to achieve progress and lead the country to prosperity.

“The web of complicated problems that we encounter every day is brought about by poor planning or the lack thereof. Crafting a master plan is laying the foundation for industrial and economic development. Picture this as a blueprint in achieving progress, a map that will lead us to prosperity,” the senator said. (GFB)