A legislator has asked the other members of the House of Representatives to consider raising the 2023 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways, noting that infrastructure projects help create more jobs. 
 
During Tuesday's plenary deliberations on the P5.268-trillion proposed national budget for 2023, Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman noted that the DPWH suffered a huge budget cut of P64.8 billion compared to the 2022 allocation.
 
Under the National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the national government to Congress, DPWH has a heavily slashed proposed budget of P717.31 billion, down by 8.7% from this year’s P785.24 billion approved budget.
 
Hataman raised the question after one of the sponsors of the proposed national budget, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, said in her sponsorship speech that one guiding principle in crafting the 2023 spending bill is economic recovery.
 
“Kanina, binabanggit nyo yung infrastructure ay multiplier and engine ng ating economy, pero bakit dito sa NEP 2023 nagkaroon ng P68.4 billion slash sa budget ng DPWH? So ang ibig sabihin ba nito, malaki-laki din ang nabawas sa GDP contribution ng infrastructure natin?” Hataman asked.
 
(You said earlier that infrastructure is the multiplier and engine of our economy, but why was the budget of DPWH slashed by P68.4 billion under the NEP 2023? Does it mean that the GDP contribution of infrastructure was also greatly reduced?)
 
Quimbo then responded by saying the infrastructure budget is not only lodged in DPWH but in other agencies as well. 
 
Quimbo added the proposed national budget also contains funds to enhance digital infrastructure, bringing the infrastructure allocation to P1.019 trillion in total.
 
“Gusto nating malaman kung bakit iyun ang na-reach na decision ng DBCC pagdating sa budget ng DPWH,” said Hataman, referring to the Development Budget Coordination Committee, a body that primarily prepares the budget proposal.
 
(I just want to know how the DBCC arrived at that decision when it comes to the DPWH budget.)
 
Nonetheless, Quimbo noted that the DBCC will yield to the wishes of Congress and that she is one with Hataman in saying that there is inadequate infrastructure spending. She said she will support Hataman if he proposes to increase infrastructure spending
 
“Kasi katulad naming malalayong lugar na napag-iwanan dahil sa mga gulo ng nakaraan at ngayon lang medyo natahimik, talagang napakahalaga ng infrastructure,” he said.
 
(Just like us in far flung areas, we are being left behind because of the disorder in the past, now we’re quite peaceful and we really need infrastructure).