MANILA, Philippines — As some big-ticket projects took a backseat to COVID-19 response, public infrastructure spending fell by over a fifth to P681.1 billion in 2020.
The Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) latest report Friday showed disbursements on infrastructure and other capital outlays last year dropped 22.8 percent from P881.7 billion in 2019.
But actual infrastructure expenditures exceeded by 11.8 percent the 2020 program worth P609.3 billion, which had been downscaled when the government realigned budget items—many of the projects of the departments of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and of Transportation (DOTr)—into the war chest to fight COVID-19 under the Bay…
Keep on reading: Infrastructure spending fell 22.8% to P681.1B in 2020