Roads, not waiting sheds in first Duterte budget

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte's first ever spending plan will focus on roads and bridges for rural communities and will not include waiting sheds, his budget secretary said Tuesday.

Duterte, who assumed office last week, will submit his proposed 2017 budget to Congress by August 15, Budget Secretary Benjami Diokno said.

The 71-year-old, who promised to spread development to the countryside, is planning to raise infrastructure spending to five percent of gross domestic product.

Diokno told DZMM this could amount to roughly P800 billion.

"Wala tayong mga waiting shed, talagang hard infrastructure na mapapakinabangan ng tao at magpapalago sa ekonomiya natin,," he said.

Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino, has been criticized for not spending fast enough to boost growth, but the new government has pledged to move things faster.