Ejercito Pushes Long-Term Infra Master Plan to Stimulate Growth

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Senior Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito renewed on Thursday his call for the immediate passage of Senate Bill No. 2— the proposed Master Plan on Infrastructure and National Development Act (MIND) Act. “This will hit two birds with one stone. I think this will be the key. This will really stimulate economic growth all over the country,” Ejercito, an advocate for a national infrastructure masterplan since the 17th Congress, said in a mix of English and Filipino during the public hearing of the Senate committee on economic affairs and the committee on public works and finance. “The centers of growth are not only in Metro Manila, not only in Cebu, not only in Davao. It needs to be spread, like, for example, in other areas in Mindanao,” he went on. READ: Gov’t eyes 9 flagship infra projects done by end 2026 “Railways and mass transit are the keys to faster movement of people, business, and the economy. Infrastructure development is not only for the current administration. This is for future generations of Filipinos,” he added. Ejercito’s bill seeks to institutionalize a long-term Comprehensive Infrastructure Development Masterplan and create the MIND Council to ensure that major infra projects are coordinated, data-driven, transparent, and continue beyond changes in political leadership. The lawmaker from San Juan said the government must prioritize projects that create sustainable jobs and livelihood opportunities instead of making people rely solely on cash assistance programs. “Let’s not rely solely on aid programs. We all need decent jobs and livelihoods that will be sustainable in the long run. Aid is just short-term and not sustainable. What we want are real jobs and livelihoods so we can raise the quality of life of our countrymen,” Ejercito said. Ejercito acknowledged that the government already laid down the policy groundwork through the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) Law (Republic Act No. 1214) and Executive Order No. 72. But he pointed out that it is crucial to institutionalize the system through the passage of the proposed MIND Act, one of his priority measures in the 20th Congress. During the deliberations on the DepDev Law, Ejercito also proposed Section 15 to be included in the country’s long-term vision, goals, and strategy for infrastructure development in the Long-term Development Framework. “If we look at our neighbors in the Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations], we’ll see how far we have been left behind in infrastructure development. This is not rocket science. They chose a clear direction and had long-term plans. It’s time we also do these,” he said. READ: Philippines’ infra spending plunged 17% in 2025 As the current Senate finance chief, Ejercito said the Senate would put an end to the practice of last-minute insertions during the bicameral conference committee and strengthen the participation of local governments in determining priority infrastructure projects. “We will no longer accept insertions in the bicam. We’ll make sure to give voice to our regional development councils and local governments in choosing projects to be implemented. We will no longer allow projects we don’t know about or are not priorities of the community,” he said. He stressed that the recently exposed flood control anomalies reflected the consequences of fragmented planning, weak project monitoring, and poor accountability. According to him, this makes the passage of the MIND Act more urgent than ever. “Let’s start fixing the system. Let’s hold accountable those who must be held accountable. But let’s continue the projects that our countrymen really need,” he said. /atm