THE HOUSE of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill that seeks to establish a 30-year infrastructure masterplan to guide government spending and coordinate development projects across the Philippines.
House Bill No. 11597 or the proposed Masterplan for Infrastructure and National Development Act passed on Monday with 284 votes in favor, eight against and one abstention.
The measure seeks to establish a Comprehensive Infrastructure Development Masterplan covering transportation, logistics, energy, water resources, telecommunications, social infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries and the maintenance of existing assets.
The 30-year plan will guide infrastructure investment, budget priorities and land development in coordination with the Philippine Development Plan and the national budget.
The bill proposes creating a Masterplan for Infrastructure and National Development Council to formulate, review and oversee the implementation of the infrastructure plan.
The President will head the council, with the secretary of the Department of Economy, Planning and Development serving as vice-chairman.
Its members will include government department heads, representatives of local government leagues and eight industry stakeholders.
The measure will also require infrastructure planning to incorporate transit-oriented development, land-value capture mechanisms and shared corridors for compatible utilities.
These corridors will allow facilities such as power lines, mass transit systems and telecommunication infrastructure to occupy designated areas, potentially reducing duplication and improving land use.
A Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Infrastructure Planning and Development will monitor implementation, identify deficiencies and conduct quarterly reviews.
The committee will have six members each from the Senate and House of Representatives, supported by a subcommittee responsible for long-term planning and anticipating future development needs.
The bill provides that initial implementation costs will be funded through existing appropriations of the Department of Economy, Planning and Development, with subsequent expenses included in annual national budgets.
Party-list Rep. Renee Louise M. Co opposed the measure, arguing that the proposed infrastructure plan lacked broader long-term economic development strategy.
“It builds a 30-year infrastructure castle in the air without a genuine long-term national development blueprint to anchor it,” she told the House plenary.
Ms. Co said the proposal failed to adequately connect infrastructure priorities with economic development needs, including those of the manufacturing sector.
She warned that the framework could encourage private companies to treat infrastructure development primarily as a profit-making activity rather than a means of meeting public needs.
The lawmaker also raised concerns that the proposed council could concentrate influence over infrastructure spending among government officials and major businesses.
She questioned whether the measure provided sufficient public oversight of construction material costs and land valuations.
Ms. Co also criticized the proposed consultation process, warning that communities directly affected by infrastructure projects might have limited opportunities to influence planning decisions.
The bill needs a counterpart Senate bill and a reconciled version before it can be submitted to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. for signing into law. — Pexcel John Bacon