Members of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives of the Philippines are cautioning the government that recent reforms aimed at standardising construction material prices will not eliminate corruption unless the underlying allocation system — often dubbed the “pork barrel” — is dismantled.
In a joint statement, the Makabayan Bloc said that while lowering prices is a step in the right direction, it is insufficient if lawmakers and officials continue to influence which projects are selected, how contracts are awarded, and how funds are spent. “Even if the price goes down, if the executive, congressmen and senators still control the project list and the contractors — kickbacks, ghost projects and substandard work will continue,” the group said.
The lawmakers are calling for more systemic changes:
- Abolishing unprogrammed or discretionary allocations that allow back-door project insertion.
- Making the budgeting process fully transparent and participatory, so communities—not just politicians—decide what infrastructure they need.
- Strengthening oversight and sanctions so that lowering prices does not simply shift corruption to inflated quantities or inferior materials.
In short: pricing reform is meaningful only if coupled with structural overhaul of how funds are allocated and projects are approved.