Build! Build! Build!

Build! Build! Build!
Name	Build! Build! Build!
Type	Infrastructure program
Founded	2016
Founder	Rodrigo Duterte
Location	Philippines
Industry	Public works

Build! Build! Build! is a Philippine infrastructure initiative launched in 2016 under President Rodrigo Duterte to accelerate public works, transportation, and urban development. The program sought to expand connectivity through road, rail, port, and airport projects, linking metropolitan areas such as Manila, Cebu City, and Davao City with regional hubs like Clark Freeport Zone, Subic Bay, and the Visayas. It coordinated agencies including the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Transportation (Philippines), and state-owned enterprises such as the Philippine National Railways and the Philippine Ports Authority.

Background and Objectives

The plan originated from campaign promises by Rodrigo Duterte and was framed within national strategies referencing documents from the National Economic and Development Authority and policy priorities of the Philippine Development Plan. It aimed to reduce congestion in Metro Manila, improve access to the Philippine archipelago, and stimulate growth in regions like Mindanao and the Cordillera Administrative Region. Objectives aligned with fiscal instruments from the Department of Finance (Philippines), engagement with multilateral lenders like the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and bilateral partnerships involving China and Japan.

Policy and Implementation

Implementation relied on procurement rules under the Government Procurement Reform Act and coordination among agencies such as the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and the Clark International Airport Corporation. Financing blended national budget allocations, bonds issued by the Development Bank of the Philippines, concessional loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Export-Import Bank of China, and public-private partnerships governed by the Public-Private Partnership Center. Project management featured oversight from the Office of the President of the Philippines and technical inputs from international firms and contractors including those from China Railway Group, Sumitomo Corporation, and Aboitiz Equity Ventures.

Major Projects and Infrastructure Programs

Key transportation projects included extensions of the Metro Manila Subway and the North–South Commuter Railway, the Clark–Bataan Interlink, and upgrades to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Mactan–Cebu International Airport. Road programs encompassed expressways such as the NLEX Connector, the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway, and segments of the Pan-Philippine Highway. Port and maritime initiatives involved expansions at the Port of Manila, modernization of the South Harbor, and proposals for new terminals in Zamboanga City and Iloilo City. Urban renewal and housing projects interfaced with agencies like the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and involved local governments including the Quezon City and Pasig administrations. Energy and water components intersected with entities such as the National Power Corporation and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.

Economic and Social Impact

Proponents argued the program stimulated activity across sectors cited by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the National Statistical Coordination Board, potentially raising investment from conglomerates like San Miguel Corporation, Ayala Corporation, and SM Investments Corporation. Infrastructure spending influenced indicators tracked by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for the Philippine economy, affecting employment patterns in regions serviced by projects including Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo City, and General Santos. Social impacts involved resettlement issues managed through procedures linked to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and coordination with local offices in provinces such as Bohol and Palawan.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics in the Senate of the Philippines, civil society groups like Bayan, and academic commentators from institutions such as the University of the Philippines raised concerns about project prioritization, fiscal sustainability, and transparency under mechanisms overseen by the Commission on Audit and the Office of the Ombudsman. Environmental groups including Greenpeace Philippines and legal actions invoking statutes administered by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources highlighted impacts on protected areas in locales such as Boracay and the Masungi Georeserve. Geopolitical scrutiny emerged over loan agreements with China and procurement involving firms from Japan and South Korea, prompting parliamentary questions from members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines and commentary in regional forums like the ASEAN meetings.

Legacy and Evaluation

Assessments by think tanks such as the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, international organizations including the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, and university research centers at Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University examined project outcomes, cost overruns, and long-term benefits to connectivity for corridors like those linking Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Subsequent administrations and policy actors in the Executive branch of the Philippines have inherited, reoriented, or continued components through agencies including the National Economic and Development Authority and the Department of Transportation (Philippines), integrating lessons into future plans consistent with regional strategies discussed at forums involving the United Nations and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Category:Infrastructure in the Philippines Category:Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte