MIRIAM VOWS INFRASTRUCTURE BOOM

Presidential candidate Miriam Defensor Santiago on Tuesday vowed to invest heavily on public infrastructure development, an area where previous administrations performed poorly, to help facilitate rapid economic growth.

"The poor state of public infrastructure that this administration inherited from its predecessor was pushed back further during the last five years. When I assume office, I will hit the ground running," the senator said.

Santiago, the consistent leader in campus surveys since the filing of certificates of candidacy, said that her administration will set aside five percent of its resources to public infrastructure to catch up with its rapidly developing neighbors.

She added that she will launch the following projects simultaneously, by public-private partnership, public procurement, or a hybrid of both:

• A modern international airport

• An entirely new railway system from Manila to Sorsogon

• A modern, integrated urban transit system in Metro Manila with lines reaching urban communities in Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna

• One mixed-use government center (with adjacent residential, commercial, and entertainment facilities) in the National Capital Region and in each 17 regions.

• One major project per region and per province

"To make the facilities affordable to citizens, the government will not require a premium from winning contractors. In fact, in some cases, because of the benefits government subsidy maybe allowed," Santiago said.

She estimates to spend P819 billion on infrastructure projects in 2017, with the amount rising to P1.3 trillion in 2022, adding that some of the amount would have to be sourced through loans, for as long as the returns are greater than the costs.

Santiago, who spoke before some 3,500 young voters at the University of Perpetual Help System in Biñan, Laguna on Tuesday, repeated her criticism of bold promises made by her opponents without matching plans on where funds will be sourced.

"We cannot build modern infrastructure on the basis of promises alone. It will have to be financed through better tax administration, tax policy reform, and government borrowings," the senator said.