PBBM: Aligning project cost to market prices ‘new standard’
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expanded his earlier order for the Department of Public Works and Highways to slash bloated infrastructure costs by as much as 50 percent, directing all government agencies to adopt the same pricing reform to curb corruption and align project costs with real market rates.
“When funds are protected and spent with discipline, prices ease, opportunities grow, and communities thrive,” Mr. Marcos said in his departure speech Thursday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in South Korea.
The directive covers infrastructure and capital outlay projects under the Departments of Education (DepEd), Agriculture (DA), Health (DOH), Transportation (DOTr), and the Interior and Local Government (DILG), as well as the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
“The Department of Public Works is now aligning its project costs with real market prices,” Mr. Marcos said.
“The quality of what we build will not be compromised. The only thing weakened will be corruption,” he added.
Noting that only a transparent government can build a fair economy, the President said the new system must now be the standard “across all of government.”
“It will not be limited to the Public Works but shall be the norm across government. We are reducing costs for 2026 of the FMRs (farm-to-market roads), irrigation, classrooms, and hospitals,” Mr. Marcos said.
“A government that honors public trust, a nation that stands firm on integrity—this is our promise. A real change for every Filipino today and for generations to come,” he added.
Earlier, Independent Commission on Infrastructure executive director Brian Keith Hosaka said the ICI will do field validation of 421 suspected ghost flood control projects across the country, of which 261 are in Luzon, 109 in the Visayas and 51 in Mindanao.
According to the latest OCTA Tugon ng Masa survey, at least 31 percent of Filipino adults consider fighting corruption in the government as among the top national concerns, next to controlling the rising prices of basic goods and services.
The survey showed the call to fight corruption is more pronounced in Metro Manila (51 percent), followed by Balance Luzon (34 percent) and Visayas (23 percent), while Mindanao (18 percent) registered the lowest level of concern.
Public concern over government corruption surged this quarter, climbing 18 percentage points from 13 percent in July 2025 to 31 percent in September 2025. This marked the highest level of concern recorded and represents the first time corruption has entered the top five national issues.
The OCTA Research group said the rise in concerns about corruption reflects a growing public demand for integrity and accountability in government, as Filipinos increasingly shift their focus from purely economic issues to matters of governance.
The increase in concern about corruption has surpassed concerns over improving or increasing wages, which stood at 27 percent.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “PBBM enforces reforms on gov’t project costs”
