Manila, June 29 -- Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday urged the executive department to ramp up responsible spending for infrastructure in the second half of the year to pump-prime the economy.

Gatchalian made the call after data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed that government infrastructure spending fell 51.7 percent year-on-year in April, plummeting to PHP41.5 billion from PHP85.8 billion during the same period last year.

This marks the fourth straight month of contraction, extending a slump that has persisted since the flood-control corruption scandal emerged in the second half of 2025.

He noted that infrastructure spending has the biggest multiplier effect in boosting the economy.

"Kung nade-d...