Drones, sensors to scour PH for ghost projects

Ghost projects will soon be a thing of the past as the departments of Budget and Management (DBM) and Science and Technology (DOST) plan to roll out this year “Project Dime” or Digital Imaging for Monitoring and Evaluation of big-ticket projects.

Under Project Dime, “various technologies and expertise on data acquisition developed and acquired by the DOST will be used … including Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar), Open Roads Platform and Geostore, and Geotagging,” the DBM said in a statement. Satellites and drones would also be used.

Last year, the two agencies piloted the program and monitored three projects, namely, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ National Greening Program, the Department of Health’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program, and the National Irrigation Administration’s National/Communal Irrigation Systems.

The full implementation of Project Dime “will quicken implementation of projects and also, in a way, reduce the wastage—no more ’ghost’ projects as a result of this,” Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno told a press conference.