Building infra beyond politics: How ‘The Good One’ gets things done
July 27, 2026
If there is one issue that Senator JV Ejercito has consistently championed throughout his years in the Senate, aside from health, it is infrastructure development, particularly railways and long-term planning. Ejercito had already been pushing for a national infrastructure masterplan long before flood control anomalies became front-page news. Because the senator believes that the country's development should not depend on the priorities of every administration but on a clear, long-term vision.
In fact, Ejercito had already filed the Masterplan for Infrastructure and National Development (MIND) Act upon his return to the Senate in the 19th Congress after the 2022 elections, and it remains one of his priority bills in the 20th Congress, as identified by the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
Senate Bill No. 2 seeks to establish a long-term and institutionalized Comprehensive Infrastructure Development Masterplan and create the Masterplan for Infrastructure Development Council to ensure that major infra projects are coordinated, data-driven, transparent, and continue beyond changes in political leadership.
“Ako po ay matagal nang nagsusulong ng railway development, mula pa noong ako ay nasa Kongreso. This will hit two birds with one stone. This will really stimulate economic growth all over the country. Hindi lamang Metro Manila, Cebu, at Davao ang dapat maging sentro ng pag-unlad. Dapat maikalat natin ang development sa iba't ibang areas,” Ejercito said.
Now, as the new chairperson of the Committee on Finance, Ejercito finds himself in a position where he can translate that advocacy into action. With oversight of the 2027 national budget, He has the opportunity to align government spending with projects that have long-term value—from railway expansion and mass transit to critical infrastructure that has been delayed or overlooked over the years.
During previous budget deliberations, he was among the few senators who pushed for sustained funding for the government's flagship infra projects, particularly the North-South Commuter Railway and the Metro Manila Subway. At the same time, he questioned the decision to shelve projects such as the Subic-Clark Railway, the Mindanao Railway, and the South Long Haul Railway (Bicol Express), arguing that these were long-term investments that could accelerate development, generate sustainable jobs, and spread economic growth across the country.
“Kung titingnan natin ang ating mga karatig-bansa sa ASEAN, mapapansin natin na tila napag-iwanan na ang Pilipinas. They invested heavily in infrastructure during the 1980s and 1990s. Habang tayo ay naging isang car-centered society, sila ay nag-invest sa mass transit at railway systems—how to move people and how to move goods efficiently,” he said.
It can also be remembered that During the debates on Republic Act No. 12145, or the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) Law, Ejercito pushed for the inclusion of Section 15, which requires the country's long-term vision, goals, and infrastructure strategy to be integrated into the national Long-Term Development Framework. It may have seemed like a small amendment at the time, but today, amid the flood control mess, it reads as a deliberate attempt to institutionalize what he has long believed: that infrastructure should follow a national blueprint, not the political priorities of the day.
Now, as he leads the Senate's deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget, Ejercito is determined to pair that long-term vision with reforms in the budget process itself. He has repeatedly said that, under his watch, the practice of last-minute insertions during the bicameral conference committee will have no place. Instead, he wants infrastructure priorities to come from the ground up, with Regional Development Councils and local governments playing a greater role in identifying projects that communities actually need.
“Ayusin natin ang sistema. Panagutin ang dapat managot. Pero ipagpatuloy natin ang mga proyektong tunay na kailangan ng ating mga kababayan.”
For Ejercito, the recent flood control scandal only reinforced what he has been saying for years: without a comprehensive masterplan, infrastructure projects become vulnerable to waste, duplication, and corruption.
Perhaps what makes his advocacy different, even if it is unpopular, is that it has remained consistent. Whether as a congressman, senator, or now as chair of the Senate Finance Committee, his message has not changed: infrastructure should outlive administrations. It should be planned not for the next election, but for the next generation. That's precisely why he is #TheGoodOne in the Senate, he gets things done come what may.
