RECOGNIZING the need to spread upon the country’s recovery while maintaining the achievements gained by the Duterte administration, incoming Public Works chief Manuel ‘Manny’ Bonoan is bent on finishing the infrastructure projects initiated by outgoing president Rodrigo Duterte under the flagship ‘Build, Build, Build’ program.
In a statement, Bonoan disclosed that he aims to complete all if Duterte’s infrastructure project “at the shortest possible time.”
“We will continue with the ‘Build, Build, Build.’ We will finish the remaining projects of the outgoing administration,” the new secretary of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) pointed out in a radio interview on Friday.
“Then we will look at the pipeline and see the infrastructure programs with high impact that will immediately contribute the economic recovery,” he added.
Under his leadership, Bonoan spelled out that the DPWH will be focusing on “selective” and “strategic” infrastructure projects that would help the country fast track its recovery from the adverse impact if the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine that has triggered price increases on global petroleum products.
“I will be prioritizing projects that would best address and support traffic mobility in urban areas as well as those who would boost agriculture production and domestic tourism,” he cited while mentioning his private sector stint which gave him the experience of working together with contractors closely.
“We will have to be strict with the cost of project(s). To me, I think it’s a matter of rationalizing project costing to be able to respond to the demands,” he enthused.
Under his watch, the incoming DPWH secretary opined that the DPWH will no longer come up with band-aid solutions because as its head, he would rather focus on creating permanent solutions.
