4.2M jobs generated from gov’t infra projects since 2016

According to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, 4,199,228 jobs were generated from the road, bridge, flood-control and other infrastructure projects of the department all over the country. (File Photo: Mark Villar/Facebook)

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte’s “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program has generated a record-breaking number of employment opportunities nationwide, with over 4 million people employed since 2016, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported on Tuesday.

According to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, 4,199,228 jobs were generated from the road, bridge, flood-control and other infrastructure projects of the department all over the country.

He also reported that almost half of the work were created from projects funded under 2018 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“Thanks to the huge increase in DPWH budget since President Rodrigo Roa Duterte took over, we were able to provide jobs to millions of Filipinos across the country,” he said in a statement.

The DPWH official added that in 2016 they were able to provide jobs to some 1.087 million workers; 1.281 million the following year and around 1.830 million in 2018.

Under the BBB, he said contractors hired at least 50 percent of unskilled and 30 percent of skilled labor requirement from the locality where the projects are located within an average of four months per project, 22 days per month.

“These workers are earning an average daily wage of PHP550 and are helping us build vital infrastructure projects across the country,” Villar added.

With this, the DPWH chief noted that for this year, some 1 million workers are likely to benefit from other undertakings to be constructed.

“With the approved budget of PHP3.757 trillion in 2019, at least a million more would benefit from the projects implemented by DPWH,” Villar said.

“We hope that this massive infrastructure program of the government will be able to solve traffic woes and improve connectivity among towns and cities, and will further improve livelihood nationwide,” he added.

Under the BBB programs, the government will be constructing roads, bridges, airport, railways among others, with a total budget of PHP8 trillion, covering 2017 to 2022.

The program is the government’s medium-term goal to increase spending from 5.4 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 7.3 percent by the end the President Duterte’s term in 2022.

Also, under the program, existing road network will be expanded and upgraded, strategic inter-island bridges will also be given priority.

Earlier, the Department Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that excess demand for workers and improvement of wages will prove that the government multi-trillion worth infrastructure program is effective.

This includes demand for workers such as carpenters, plumbers, electricians, masons, among others.

Among the key infrastructure projects under the BBB Program include the Subic-Clark Railway and the North-South railway projects connecting Los Baños, Laguna to Tutuban, Manila and Clark Freeport in Pampanga.

It likewise includes the 1,500-hectare industrial park in Clark, Pampanga and the expansion of Clark International Airport.