Lawmakers called out for hands in multi-billion infra projects

Local

LAWMAKERS are under fire for their involvement in infrastructure projects, with civil society groups and activists questioning whether they are neglecting their primary duty of lawmaking.

Cebu activist Jaime Paglinawan of Bayan Central Visayas criticized legislators for stepping into the execution of billions-worth of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects.

He said public funds should have been used in critical areas to directly benefit citizens, including health, education, housing, agriculture, and small businesses.

“Dear mga lawmaker, ang mga magbabalaod mo focus unta sa ilang trabaho nga mao ang paghimog balaod. Ngano moapil pa man mo sa trabaho sa usa ka ahensya sama sa DPWH?” he said in a statement on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.

Paglinawan pointed out that lawmakers’ influence over infrastructure spending has diverted resources from critical public needs.

“Kon maghimo pa sila og balaod, resolution o sa panahon sa budget hearing nga ang P1.2 trilyones bahinon kini para sa mga public hospitals, daghang kabus nga malibre unta ang kinabuhi, malibre ang bayronon sa mga laboratory ug mismo wala na gyud untay bayronon sa hospital," he said

"Kon ang P1.2 trilyones gigahin alang sa pagtukod og pabalay sa mga kabus ug libre kini nga ihatag sa mga nagkinahanglan, masulbad unta ang kawalay kapuy-an sa atong mga kaigsoonan," he added.

He also highlighted education, agriculture, and small businesses as sectors that could have benefited from alternative funding.

Paglinawan pointed out that if the P1.2 trillion had been allocated to public schools—for building classrooms, hiring teachers, and funding scholarships—many children and youth could have completed their education through college.

He added that support for farmers could have strengthened food security, while backing small businesses could have helped them compete against foreign competitors without fearing increased labor costs.

Paglinawan emphasized that infrastructure projects are not free from corruption, noting that every project, including flood control initiatives, faces issues of transparency and accountability.

Records indicate that from 2023 to 2025, Cebu lawmakers controlled P55.77 billion of the national government’s P1.2-trillion infrastructure budget.

The funds fall under the Marcos administration’s “Build, Better, More” program, which continues and expands the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” agenda nationwide.(MyTVCebu)