Still, Diokno told reporters that despite the planned spending boost, it might take a decade before the infrastructure gap in the country would be totally addressed.

The budget chief was also proposing more “hybrid” public-private partnership (PPP) projects to speed up infrastructure development.

In a speech at the general membership meeting of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex), Diokno said the government would spend close to 900 billion peso or about US$48 billion on hard public infrastructure to make up for years of “neglect.”

Diokno said they planned to roll out “simultaneously, not sequentially,” small, medium and large projects in all regions.

“The next six years will be the golden age of Philippine construction, both public and private,” Diokno said.

The budget chief earlier said the Duterte administration would order non-stop or 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week construction work on most urban-based projects to fast-track infrastructure buildup.

From a share of 5.2 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) next year, infrastructure spending would be increased to 7 per cent of GDP by the end of the Duterte administration, Diokno said.

Three to four more railway lines in Metro Manila were needed to shuttle commuters in the metropolis alongside additional airports, he said.

Diokno said the Duterte administration would have to decide on where to build a new air transport hub—whether Sangley Point in Cavite or Clark in Pampanga—within the year.

President Duterte himself was also proposing a highway connecting Clark and Makati City, he added.

The government will continue to enjoin private sector participation in the infrastructure buildup through PPP, although the budget chief said he preferred “hybrid” PPP projects.

Under the hybrid PPP setup that Diokno is proposing, the government will build the facility and later on tap a private firm for maintenance.

Train line to Clark

As a guest speaker at an event late Tuesday organised by the World Trade Centre Metro Manila, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade also revealed the plan to construct a passenger train line linking Metro Manila and the Clark freeport zone in Pampanga, where the alternative gateway Clark International Airport is located.

The plan, among the campaign promises of President Duterte, forms part of a massive effort to increase connectivity and cut road and air congestion via mass railway systems, Tugade said. He also disclosed plans for a dedicated cargo railway line between Subic and Clark.

He said the train line would connect Clark to Metro Manila either in the Trinoma Shopping Mall in Quezon City or the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City.

He said he would also insist on a so-called standard gauge railway instead of the less expensive narrow-gauge, saying the former could run faster.

Tugade said plans would still need to be studied by the National Economic and Development Authority, but it was the government’s intention to move swiftly. Tugade said his department would formalize plans within 90 days.

Tugade said reforms were also being planned in the cargo sector. He said the government would pursue a dedicated cargo line between Subic, which operates an international seaport, and Clark. As part of a longer-term goal, Tugade said all freight vehicles would travel around the country only via railway and roll-on/roll-off, or Ro-Ro, shipping systems, helping decongest roads.

The need for railway systems has been identified under previous administrations. The difficulty has been getting these projects off the ground, typically due to their complexity, high-cost and right-of-way issues.