Gov’t sets 24/7 work on infra projects

Construction of major infrastructure projects in Metro Manila will be undertaken around the clock beginning this year to fast-track their completion.

This is to ensure that roads and other major projects would be finished on time, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno told reporters in a briefing yesterday.

Diokno warned that the public should anticipate some inconvenience with 24/7 construction, but that this would not be permanent.

“Things will get worse before they get better,” he said.

Under the plan, which is still being drafted, state in- frastructure projects worth “anything beyond P10 million” will be constructed non-stop, 24 hours.

This will include both those financed solely by the government as well as Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects, under which 12 were already awarded.

Diokno said there is no need for a law to implement the plan, adding it would complement proposed emergency powers to be given to President Duterte to tackle the worsening traffic situation.

In response, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said 24/7 operations is “doable.”

“We want to fast track all projects. Definitely, we will do our best,” Villar told reporters on the sidelines of the economic managers’ meeting.

“We also have to talk to the contractors to make the arrangements. But I’m sure we can do that this year,” Villar added.

Sought for comment, Ibarra Paulino, executive director of the Philippine Constructors Association, said the group is open to the proposal, but would still have to study it.

“There will be costs. It will expedite the projects, but of course there will be additional costs in manpower, the noise it will create during night time,” Paulino said in a phone interview.

“You also have to think about manpower,” he added.

Currently, he said 24/ 7 construction is only being done in “emergency cases” such as accidents. Diokno, on the other hand, stressed it could be done.

“There are machines that we could use to minimize the noise at night,” he said.

Only a week after taking over, the Duterte administration has bared plans meant to fast track infrastructure projects, where the Philippines had been sorely lacking.

Aside from the 24/7 construction policy being eyed,

emergency powers that would allow Duterte to skirt procurement processes and open up private roads for traffic are also being proposed in the capital.

Unsolicited projects for PPPs will also be accepted from the private sector. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said bidding time would also be cut.

“Currently, from the proposal of the project to its awarding, it takes an average time of 29 months. We want to cut it down by a third,” Pernia said in the same briefing.

Budget for state infrastructure projects will also get a boost. From 3.3 percent of gross domestic product last year, Diokno said it could rise to as much as 5.2 percent in 2017.

In absolute terms, that would easily be worth more than P500 billion considering last year’s P436 billion, according to budget data.

But the economic managers were quick to tame expectations.

“Remember that we are playing a lot of catch up here. So I think we have to realize that while we are making more roads, fixing the roads, this would require all our cooperation,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said.

“There is no magic wand here,” he added.