Senator Francis Escudero on Thursday urged the national government to require public consultation and approval from local authorities before funding any infrastructure project.
Escudero said people on the ground know best what projects their communities need, and their input should guide government spending starting with the 2026 General Appropriations Act.
“With so many problems emerging in government infrastructure projects, including substandard and ‘ghost’ flood control projects, there is a real need to find meaningful solutions to stop public funds from being wasted on corruption,” he said.
The former Senate chief, who is facing scrutiny over a campaign donation from a contractor, cited Commission on Audit findings and past budget reports revealing numerous anomalies and nonexistent projects.
To address these issues, Escudero filed the proposed Grassroots Infrastructure Planning and Budgeting Act. Under the measure, no infrastructure project may be included in the National Expenditure Program unless it has been endorsed by the Regional Development Council and the respective provincial, city, or municipal development council.
He said local government endorsement would also prevent last-minute amendments lawmakers often insert into the final version of the budget. “At the NEP stage, no project that a province or town does not need should slip through. Only what is truly a priority and most important to them should be included,” Escudero said, urging Congress to pass the bill to ensure transparency and eliminate irregularities in the budget process.
