Antique readies P56-B investment program

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — Antique has a P56.27 billion annual investment program (AIP) for 2026, approved by the provincial development council on Thursday.

The AIP will be submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial council) for approval, Antique Provincial Planning and Development officer Bienvinido Nallos Jr. said in an interview on Friday.

The AIP contains the priority programs, projects and activities (PPAs) for the next fiscal year and their detailed resources.

A big chunk of the program was for PPAs for municipal local government units (MLGUs) worth P32.98 billion and social services with P12.2 billion.

"Aside from the MLGUs PPAs, the social services sector has been given the biggest chunk of the budget for the provincial government is giving priority to the health facility improvement, scholarship program, enhancement of the disaster resilience of infrastructure systems and aid to overseas Filipino workers, among others," he said.

The PPAs include the installation of streetlights or solar streetlights, construction of seawall and village health stations, construction/rehabilitation of drainage systems, multipurpose buildings, water systems and concreting or opening of roads.

Among the priorities for the general services sector are the creation and filling up of positions, library services, revenue generation and collection services.

The economic services sector prioritizes rice, corn and cassava production programs, high-value crop development programs and solid waste management programs, among others.

The council identified the National Tax Allocation of the province as among the fund sources.

Nallos said they also included projects funded by national government agencies in the AIP 2026.