Manila: Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito on Tuesday urged government agencies to ensure adequate funding for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), and other foreign-assisted projects (FAPs) of the Department of Transportation (DOTr). Ejercito expressed concern after portions of the loan proceeds for these flagship projects were reduced under the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

According to Philippines News Agency, Ejercito warned that delays in fund releases might compel contractors to suspend work, leading to prolongation costs and further setbacks in project implementation. He emphasized that releases under the Unprogrammed Appropriations typically arrive only by the third quarter, causing progress billings to accumulate during the first half of the year. This scenario, he argued, results in additional financial burdens for the government and could negatively impact the country’s credit and financial standing.

Ejercito had previously proposed restoring the funds to the amounts approved under the National Expenditure Program (NEP) at the subcommittee level, but the GAB has already been adopted. During Monday’s budget deliberation involving the Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management, and Bureau of Internal Revenue, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian explained that the reduced loan proceeds were due to the low disbursement rates of the two projects.

The chair of the Senate Committee on Finance stated that the amounts included in the GAB-PHP48 billion for NSCR and PHP34 billion for the MMSP-are considered sufficient for 2026, given the current pace of fund utilization. Gatchalian mentioned that disbursements for the MMSP and NSCR are anticipated in the first and second quarters of 2026, and unprogrammed funds will be allocated to foreign-assisted projects as additional revenues become available.

Ejercito expressed gratitude to Gatchalian for assuring that transportation programs, including the budgets for the NSCR and MMSP, will be a focus. He expressed hope that the release of funds for these projects will be prioritized to ensure their continuous and timely implementation.