Senator Win Gatchalian has filed a bill seeking to establish a 30-year infrastructure masterplan to ensure maximum return on investment and prevent the inclusion of redundant or low-impact projects in the national budget.

Senate Bill No. 1652, or the proposed Masterplan for Infrastructure and National Development (MIND) Act, aims to ensure the continuity of vital infrastructure projects even across changes in administration. The measure also seeks to focus government spending on high-impact projects that deliver the greatest benefits to Filipino taxpayers.

“We need to lock in the country’s development goals and lock out political interference. With infrastructure taking a bigger piece of the budgetary pie, we must ensure that every peso is spent on projects that truly benefit ordinary Filipinos,” said Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance.

He noted that from 2022 to 2025, budget allocations for national infrastructure projects increased by an average of 7.9 percent annually, based on data from the Department of Budget and Management.

Gatchalian emphasized that anchoring the infrastructure masterplan in law would make it more difficult to alter and would ensure the uninterrupted implementation of key projects, regardless of changes in political leadership.