Senator Erwin Tulfo renews push for 'MIND Act' to fix substandard, unfinished Infrastructure

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Erwin Tulfo has renewed his push for a measure that would create a long-term, integrated national infrastructure plan, citing recent widespread flooding that exposed persistent flaws in government public works.

Tulfo is backing the proposed “Masterplan for Infrastructure and National Development (MIND) Act,” which aims to establish a comprehensive, interconnected infrastructure roadmap across the Philippines. The measure is currently pending before the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs.

Tulfo stated that prolonged rains and flooding in recent months highlighted structural weaknesses in public works, pointing to substandard roads, bridges, and unfinished projects left stranded by piecemeal funding.

“The continuous heavy rains exposed substandard public works like bridges and roads. We also have unfinished projects where initial phases received funding, but subsequent phases were left hanging,” Tulfo said.

He criticized the waste of public funds on projects that fail to deliver results due to inadequate preparation.

“We are spending taxpayers’ money on these unfinished projects only to yield zero benefit—all because of a fundamental lack of planning,” Tulfo added.

The senator emphasized that passing the MIND Act is crucial as the Senate prepares for deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget. He urged agencies to closely coordinate to identify incomplete initiatives and ensure new public works align with national and local development plans.

“We must triple our efforts to identify and complete hanging projects. Any new project about to start must be synchronized with development plans down to the local level,” Tulfo remarked.

He further stressed that infrastructure planning must transcend political cycles and withstand worsening climate conditions.

“Infrastructure projects should stand the test of time, extreme weather, and changing political climates. They must remain functional regardless of who is in power,” he said.

Tulfo previously committed to launching a formal Senate investigation into substandard infrastructure projects exposed by recent continuous rains and flooding.

-Paraluman News