SPENDING on infrastructure and other capital outlays picked up in the first half (H1) of this year as the government bolstered its infrastructure initiatives, a Cabinet official said.
“Most projects have already undergone early procurement… so, they already implement most of the projects,” Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman told reporters during the Kapihan in Manila Bay on Wednesday.
Amid directives to increase expenditures to support economic growth, the amount spent for infrastructure projects rose to P611.8 billion in the January to June period, 20.6 percent higher than P507.2 billion logged in the same period last year.
The improvement was largely attributed to the implementation of various road infrastructure programs and the completion of ongoing projects by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) nationwide, as well as capital outlay projects funded under the Revised AFP Modernization Program of the Department of National Defense.
In June alone, infrastructure spending rose to P139.7 billion, 17.0 percent higher than the P119.4 billion recorded in the same month last year.
Increased spending was said to be due to DPWH disbursements for completed road, bridge and multipurpose building projects, as well as payments for prior years’ right-of-way claims and progress billings for other road infrastructure projects funded under the unprogrammed appropriations.
Pangandaman noted that the recent improvement were also driven by locally funded projects under the PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn Program from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, which includes road networks, flood control and water supply systems.
Additionally, the construction, repair and rehabilitation of justice halls nationwide under the Justice System Infrastructure Program of the Department of Justice contributed to the latest improvement in infrastructure spending.
Overall, government disbursement for the first half of 2024 totaled P2.7 trillion, significantly higher by 14.6 percent from the P2.4 trillion a year earlier.
As of the end of June 2024, Pangandaman reported that the remaining balance from the P5.7-trillion obligation program for the current year is P472.3 billion, or 8.2 percent.
This includes P80.1 billion in agency-specific budgets and P196.8 billion from special purpose funds.
“Infrastructure spending and MOOE (maintenance and other operating expenses) will continue to drive disbursements for the remaining months of the year, with 56.1 percent and nearly 52.0 percent of their full-year program, respectively, expected this second semester,” Pangandaman said.