ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PIA) – A look at the breakdown of fund allocations among the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)’ 16 regional offices shows Western Visayas getting a total of P695.416 million from the agency’s P5.5-billion fund for new infrastructure projects.

In all, some 376 additional projects worth that much — P5.5 billion — are now being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the government’s stimulus fund.

Said stimulus fund, which comes to a total of some P72 billion, is part of a strategy by the Aquino administration to speed up the implementation of infrastructure and poverty alleviation projects as well as shield the country against the adverse effects of the global economic slowdown and recent calamities.

DPWH Secretary Rogelio L. Singson has clarified that the infrastructure fund is allotted for the construction and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, flood control and other projects, many of which have been damaged by recent typhoons.

The stimulus fund also includes the payment of validated right-of-way acquisition as well as replenishment of the Quick Response Fund for calamity purposes.

President Aquino has instructed the DPWH to fasttrack the disbursement and utilization of the stimulus funds for infrastructure in line with the thrust of his administration on inclusive growth that seeks to sustain economic growth, alleviate poverty and generate more jobs as outlined in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP).

Singson said the stimulus package came from the agency’s savings generated from unused appropriations in 2010 and the first three quarters in 2011 as a result of prudent spending.