MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order No. 72 adopting an integrated and harmonized process in the formulation, approval, budgeting, implementation, and monitoring of master plans for the infrastructure sector.
The circular, a copy of which was released by Malacañang on Sunday, was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on October 28 on behalf of the President.
It recognizes the vital role of public investments in infrastructure and human capital to create employment opportunities and promote economic growth.
Marcos pointed out the need to have an integrated process in place to ensure the further growth of the country’s infrastructure development.
This, he said, is one of the initiatives stated in his administration’s Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 focused on the implementation of integrated master-planning development and convergence programs towards sustainable, resilient, and modernized infrastructure facilities and services.
“It is imperative to harmonize and strategically integrate the process for the formulation of master plans for the infrastructure sector to guide the planning, programming, budgeting, and implementation of infrastructure projects, and ensure a holistic approach to socioeconomic development,” the EO states.
The issuance orders all government agencies and offices involved in planning, developing, and managing infrastructure projects to adopt an integrated and harmonized process in the formulation, budgeting, approval, implementation, and monitoring of the implementation of master plans for the infrastructure sector.
It likewise directs the formulation or updating of master plans that the concerned agencies, while giving due consideration to aesthetics in identified tourist destinations, must incorporate in physical, spatial, and other cross-cutting elements and principles.
These elements and principles include Convergence, Interconnectivity, Digital technologies and solutions, Environmental quality and ecological integrity, Sustainability, Climate change resiliency, Disaster risk reduction and management, Gender Equality, and Disability and social inclusion.
EO No. 72 likewise orders for all master plans of national scope for the infrastructure sector and its subsectors – transportation, water resources, energy, information and communications technology, and social infrastructure, among others – to be submitted and approved by the Committee of Infrastructure (Infracom) before their adoption and implementation.
The Infracom, meanwhile, shall coordinate with concerned agencies to evaluate the master plans and ensure that clear funding strategies for updating, implementing, and monitoring the implementation of the master plans are incorporated therein.
All plans approved by the Infracom then will be endorsed to the National Economic and Development Authority Board for presentation and confirmation.