Book Description

Night Owl Second Edition offers a comprehensive look at the Build Build Build Program – President Rodrigo Duterte’s medium term development strategy to effectively usher in Philippines’ Golden Age of Infrastructure. It follows and provides a firsthand narrative of the daunting details of task, reforms, and projects undertaken by Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar. Night Owl sheds light into the difficult challenges, critiques, and difficult decisions faced by the Build Build Build team and dives into the consequences subsequently. Witness heartwarming stories of Filipinos whose lives have improved with the completion of roads, bridges, rail, flood control projects, airports, seaports and classrooms. There is no question that physical infrastructure impacts on the quality of human life. Every new road or bridge that connects a remote barangay to the town proper opens new opportunities for a hundreds to sell and buy goods and interact with other communities; every schoolroom built brings literacy and a chance to improve the lives of thousands of Filipino children; every health center put up or potable water source developed makes numerous lives healthier; and every seaport or airport constructed or improved connects communities around it to the rest of the world. Public investment in physical infrastructure is an imperative. “Night Owl” documents the making of the physical infrastructure projects that the Duterte administration completed in six years under its Build, Build, Build program. But beyond this, it expounds on the vision of an administration determined to take bold steps to close the country’s infrastructure gap and the key persons who pushed hard to realize this ambitious program. This book reveals the strong political will of President Rodrigo Duterte and his people to uplift the quality of our countrymen’s lives. “Night Owl” is as much an undisputable record of what President Duterte and his team have achieved to upgrade our country’s physical infrastructure as it is a well-documented tribute to the sacrifices of the men and women of this administration — both the early birds and the night owls — who toiled day and night to deliver on their commitments. For the next set of technocrats who want to know what must come with political will to accomplish such a tremendous undertaking; the doubters who won’t believe unless presented with figures and photos; the armchair travelers who wish to experience our provinces vicariously; and the families and friends of the people who took part in constructing these school buildings, evacuation and health centers, roads, bridges, flood control projects seaports, and airports, this book is a good read. — HON. GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO 14th President of the Philippines Night Owl is a compelling visual and informative storytelling of Philippine’s journey of change and transformation as it rally Philippines from a tiger cub economy to first world country. Anna Mae Lamentillo’s book, “Night Owl,” provides a bird’s eye view of the government’s Build, Build, Build program. It’s her finishing touches, her additional contribution to her work as the project’s chairperson while she was with the DPWH. Inside the pages of “Night Owl,” one can read about and see the developments that have helped move the country forward, even during the most challenging years brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. — EMILIO YAP III President and Vice Chairman, Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation