<\/p>\n
\u201cTHERE should be zero budget for zero-benefit projects.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Senate President Francis Joseph \u201cChiz\u201d G. Escudero yesterday issued the statement as he urged Malaca\u00f1ang to draw up a \u201cnegative list\u201d of infrastructure projects that cannot be funded under the 2026 national budget.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Escudero, who once headed the Senate Committee on Finance, said the Palace should make it clear from the start that questionable projects will not be entertained.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBabaha ng mga walang kwentang projects kung \u2018di natin ididetalye kung anu-ano ang dapat ipagbawal na projects. There should be zero budget for zero-benefit projects,\u201d said the leader of the Senate.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Among the projects he suggested for inclusion in the negative list are low-value but overpriced road devices such as reflective studs or \u201ccat\u2019s eyes,\u201d slope protection nets and paints.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The same should be done with what he called \u201cvanity projects\u201d like waiting sheds, swimming pools, signages, and other non-essential amenities, which are prone to budgetary abuse and waste, to give way to more important infrastructure initiatives.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Senate President is also looking at a possible moratorium on new flood control projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 2026, noting that billions of pesos in allocations under the 2025 budget remain unimplemented.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTapusin muna natin ang pending projects at ayusin natin ang plano bago natin ituloy ang mga ito. We should give Secretary Dizon (DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon) the opportunity to fix the system first,\u201d he said.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s redirect those funds to waste-to-energy plants, refuse-derived fuel facilities, and other measures that address garbage, clogged drainage systems, and reduced water-holding capacity in rivers and waterways. These are among the real drivers of flooding in Metro Manila and other urban centers,\u201d the Senate leader pointed out.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to the Bicolano lawmaker, the negative list should serve as a guide to both the Executive and Legislative branches, accompanied by a stern warning that congressionally-sponsored projects in violation of the list will be vetoed by the President.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDapat malinaw ang mensahe: Kung ano ang bawal, huwag nang ipilit. Kung anu-anong budgetary adventurism lang ang isinasaksak taun-taon kaya kailangan na maudlot na bago pa man maisama sa GAA (General Appropriations Act),\u201d Senate President Escudero said. <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “THERE should be zero budget for zero-benefit projects.” Senate President Francis Joseph “Chiz” G. Escudero yesterday issued the statement as he urged Malacañang to draw<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16124"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16124"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16126,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16124\/revisions\/16126"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}