Infrastructure spending up 28.5% in May

The amount spent by the government in building vital infrastructure last May grew by 28.5 percent, mainly as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) rolled out more projects that month.

Department of Budget and Management data showed that expenditures for infrastructure and other capital outlays in May jumped to P23.9 billion from P18.6 billion a year ago.

The amount disbursed for infrastructure projects in May was also slightly up from April’s P23.3 billion.

In a report, the DBM said that in the case of the DPWH, “while almost the same level of NCAs [notices of cash allocation] were issued in May 2014 and May 2015, capital outlays disbursements increased by P6.9 billion due to the remarkable improvement in the pace of utilization from 64.8 percent in May last year to 93.5 percent this year.”

Adding to the increase in capital outlays was the about P270 million released by the DBM to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts to pay for the acquisition of the Manila Metropolitan Theater from the Government Service Insurance System.

From January to May, infrastructure spending rose by 3.1 percent to P115.8 billion from P112.3 billion last year. The end-May figure represents 26.8 percent of the full-year program.

Total capital outlays, which include capital transfers to local government units and equity, rose by 27.8 percent year-on-year in May to P34.5 billion, bringing the five-month figure to P157.2 billion, up 9.4 percent.