Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian pressed the administration on June 29, to aggressively accelerate infrastructure spending in the second half of the year to jumpstart the country's slowing economy. 

The urgent appeal follows a staggering 51.7% year-on-year plunge in April public works outlays, which plummeted to PHP 41.5 billion from PHP 85.8 billion in the same period last year, according to Department of Budget and Management (DBM) data. 

The steep drop marks the fourth consecutive month of contraction, extending a public construction slump that has gripped the country since a major flood-control corruption scandal broke out in late 2025.

Warning that state-funded construction delays directly hurt Filipino families, Gatchalian emphasized that infrastructure holds the most powerful multiplier effect for national economic growth. 

“Kung nade-delay ang mga mahahalagang infrastructure projects ng bansa, nade-delay din ang pagkakataon nating makapagbigay ng trabaho sa ating mga kababayan at mapaunlad ang ating mga komunidad. Kailangan nating makabawi para mas gumanda ang paglago ng ekonomiya,” the Senate President stated.

While acknowledging that stringent budget oversight and anti-corruption safeguards remain vital in the wake of recent scandals, Gatchalian argued they should not completely paralyze vital state projects. 

He stressed that the government must strike a critical balance between transparency and execution to pull the country out of its recent financial stagnation. 

“Accelerating public works and capital outlays is especially urgent amid the economic slump in the first quarter of the year,” Senate President Gatchalian said.

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