OUR latest report looks at what should be a positive impact of infrastructure projects on poverty alleviation initiatives of the government.

Sadly, this report authored by Karol Ilagan, PCIJ writer-researcher, reveals that in five of the 10 provinces that got the biggest value of contracts, poverty incidence has, in fact, even worsened. In the other five provinces, slight improvement was recorded.

This mixed picture emerged after the PCIJ expanded its review of the 27,535 projects enrolled in the civil-works registry of the Department of Public Works and Highways from 2000 to 2008.

Of the projects altogether valued at P138.5 billion in total, about 99 percent were awarded only beginning 2004. This was the year presidential elections were held, with Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo clinching the right to a six-year term of office.

Read on at pcij.org.

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