The expensive and harmful ‘Build Better More’

June 2, 2023

The Philippine government has a repetitive narrative when it comes to infrastructure – that it will “revitalize the economy” and “create more jobs” or that the government is “Building more for better lives” — claims so-repeated that they seem like obvious benefits. But history shows that this is not always the case.

BBB: Farce multiplier

January 19, 2022

The real question is what balance to strike between universal social protection and infrastructure. The disproportionate attention to urban-centric transport infrastructure of the Build Build Build program is clearly a problem.

What Build Build Build has delivered

July 25, 2021

Nearing the end of the Duterte administration’s term, we don’t seem to be anywhere near the fulfilment of its big infrastructure dream. Build Build Build is supposed to be the centerpiece of what could be a Duterte legacy, but the program’s performance is far from defining a grand exit for the administration.

Gov’t priorities enrich a few and destroy the environment–IBON

November 25, 2020

News | The Philippine government’s bias for profit-seeking interests even at the expense of the environment are the root cause of the logging, quarrying and land conversion in Rizal and Cagayan provinces that have caused such devastating floods.

IBON asks: How much of Villar wealth is driven by BBB?

October 29, 2020

NEWS | The systematic use of public funds to support private oligarch wealth is among the reasons for 12 Philippine real estate developers to be counted among Forbes’ World’s Billionaires list

Never Gonna Give You Up: Duterte’s Top 2021 Infrastructure Flagship Projects and Recovery

October 3, 2020

BY JOSE LORENZO LIM

Are these projects really what will bring economic recovery while the nation grapples with a crisis-stricken public health system and economic decline?

On the BBB fix: Why do you build me up?

July 11, 2020

FEATURES

The government is still hell-bent on pursuing a grand infrastructure program amid the pandemic and despite its actually bleak accomplishments so far. The government says it will revise its list of infrastructure projects to adapt to COVID-19. But does it really have the will to shift the focus of its infrastructure program, or even the capacity to fully implement this?