In a bid to curb corruption, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, October 30, ordered several government agencies to lower construction costs for classrooms, hospitals, and other infrastructure projects.
Marcos, who is headed to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, told his Cabinet secretaries that the government must be cleansed of corruption. Only a transparent government can build a fair economy, he said.
Building on a prior order to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to cut construction costs by 50%, Marcos said the Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and other agencies must adopt the same measure.
Several legislators have raised concerns over the inflated costs of classrooms and farm-to-market roads, linking the overpricing to alleged corruption schemes.
The controversy surrounding the DPWH’s flood control projects revealed that some officials had allegedly padded project costs to make room for kickbacks.
In response, Marcos has ordered a reduction in project costs for farm-to-market roads, irrigation systems, classrooms, and hospitals.
‘The savings we secure will go where they matter most: To programs that uplift families, support livelihoods, and strengthen communities. Because when our people grow in capability and confidence, the nation grows with them,’ Marcos said.
‘A government that honors public trust. A nation that stands firm on integrity. This is our promise. And real change for every Filipino today and all generations to come,’ he added.
The Marcos administration is in the midst of what has been described as the largest corruption scandal of the decade, with billions of pesos allegedly siphoned from the country’s coffers.
Several high-ranking officials have already been implicated in the controversy, including senators, members of the House of Representatives, an undersecretary, and others.