Dominguez urges reserving funds for BBB during pandemic

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III urged the government to reserve funds for infrastructure projects under Build, Build, Build during a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte on April 23.

Dominguez argued that focusing on infrastructure would 'fuel our bounce back' from the COVID-19 crisis, despite limited budget flexibility.

Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado confirmed only P44 billion remains available for COVID-19 initiatives out of a total P4.1 trillion budget.

Critics argue prioritizing infrastructure spending is misplaced; resources should be directed towards expanding public health capacity instead.