Night Owl: Build, Build, Build
About this ebook
It follows and provides a first-hand narrative of the daunting details of tasks, 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.
Night Owl is a compelling visual, narrative, and informative storytelling of the Philippines’ journey of change and transformation as it rallies the Philippines from a tiger cub economy to a first world country.
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
“Build, Build, Build” is one of the best legacies of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte that carve a profound niche in our nation’s history. The roads, bridges, school buildings, health centers, irrigation systems, airports, seaports, and other projects under this centerpiece program helped propel our country’s economic development and infrastructure modernization. “Night Owl,” authored by Anna Mae Lamentillo, not only records the infrastructure achievement of the Duterte administration, but also provides readers with anecdotes and insights on such challenging but laudable enormous undertaking. This book is a good read. — JOSE DE VENECIA JR.
Former five-time Speaker, House of Representatives “Build, Build, Build” has brought Filipinos not only hope for a better future, but also concrete opportunities for growth of our communities, especially those in the countryside. Also worth noting are projects that are in line with our advocacy on disaster resilience and sustainability. The flood risk management projects in our rivers, the Leyte Tide Embankment Project, the Metro Manila Priority Bridges Seismic Improvement Project, and many others make our communities safer from natural hazards such as flooding, landslides, Yolanda-like supertyphoons and storm surges, and the Big One. Roads that have been built with bike lanes and sidewalks address our call to promote sustainable mobility options. “Night Owl” by Anna Mae Lamentillo provides us statistics and the stories of these projects, the men and women behind them, the struggles that had to be overcome, and the early triumphs brought about by “Build, Build, Build.” Congratulations on this worthy read! — DEPUTY SPEAKER LOREN LEGARDA Three-Term Senator and Representative of the Lone District of Antique
The government’s “Build, Build, Build” program provides Filipinos an optimistic view of the future. These infrastructure projects propel growth in communities and provide better, safer, and faster market access to local producers. It has also created a Philippine macroeconomic environment that is encouraging for the business sector, particularly the consumer and retail industry. Congratulations to Anna Mae Lamentillo for chronicling these “Build, Build, Build” accomplishments through “Night Owl”! — ROBINA GOKONGWEI-PE President and CEO Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc.
Night Owl is a remarkable journal of the government’s “Build, Build, Build” Program from the account of someone who is personally and passionately involved in its implementation. It tells us why “Build, Build, Build” is a legacy of the Filipino people. It is the work of the government, the citizens who contribute to the public coffers, and the millions of Filipino workers who have completed the roads, bridges, school buildings, flood mitigation structures, evacuation centers, airports, and seaports in all the country’s region. I am not surprised that Anna Mae is devoted to “Build, Build, Build.” She saw herself how these projects opened opportunities, especially for those who live in the countryside; how more Filipinos now dream and aspire for a better future. These ideals resonated with Anna Mae, who learned much from her education as an alumna of the College of Development Communication, UP Los Banos, and the UP College of Law. Night Owl is a journal of our nation’s growth in terms of infrastructure development in the last five years. It narrates how this ambitious program – despite the criticisms and cynicism – delivered and paved the way for Filipinos to dream bigger. Hopefully, these stories will inspire more leaders to be equally generous in their ambition for our nation. Congratulations, Anna Mae, for recording history through Night Owl! — ATTY. DANILO L. CONCEPCION President University of the Philippines
The book night owl provides a deeper insight into the government, under President Duterte’s initiative, to rehabilitate and re-establish Philippines as a powerhouse of innovation and ingenuity. The research is impeccable and the delivery of the narrative allows the reader a journey into the beginnings of a very promising venture the Build, Build, Build initiative has delivered. Without a doubt, a necessary read. The book covers, with meticulous detail, significant projects which shows the milestones of what this administration had reached and inspires us, collectively, to maintain the momentum built. It is a hard-evidenced and moving manifesto of the promising future the Philippines is promised. — HON. SAMANTHA LOUISE VARGAS ALFONSO Cagayan Second District Representative
Night Owl is not just a chronicle of the Build, Build, Build Program of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. It is also the story of the passion, hard work, and perseverance of the women and men of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) who overcame the bureaucratic and political challenges of achieving the dream of providing our people a better quality of life through world class infrastructure. Anna Mae Lamentillo displays her credentials as a development communicator by expertly weaving stories of obstacles and triumphs of this administration’s ambitious attempt to usher in the country’s “Golden Age of Infrstructure”. I particularly enjoyed reading the chapter on “Diplomacy” where Ms. Lamentillo explained the connection between statecraft and infrastructure development. I have always thought that one of the more underrated achievements of this administration is with regard to diplomacy. This book clearly demonstrates how President Duterte used foreign relations to pursue the interest of the Filipino people. This book is a must read for people who want to go beyond the partisan social media altercations and fake news that surround the flagship program of the Duterte administration. It is a must read for people who wants to understand how to pursue a worthy vision even in the midst of political noises. I congratulate Ms. Lamentillo for writing this book, which confirms what People Asia has already proclaimed: that she is indeed a woman of style and substance. — MANNY VILLAR Former Senate President
“Night Owl” by Anna Mae Lamentillo provides a front row seat to the Duterte Administration’s “Build, Build, Build”program. It’s a must read for leaders who seek the formula to effect lasting positive change. Some of the takeaways from this book: The only way to realize a vision is to have the political will to make the necessary reforms, no matter how drastic they are. Our ambitions should match our actions. We cannot take baby steps if we want to bring the Philippines to greater heights. — KEVIN TAN CEO and Vice-Chairman of Alliance Global, Inc.
As if looking through the author’s eyes, the reader will be able to witness the step-bystep progress of the Build, Build, Build program of the Duterte administration. The book featured the humble beginnings of the program, the hurdles it encountered, and its current accomplishments. It also introduced the people behind the program and of course, the most important contributor, the Filipino people. The program’s goal to connect Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao through land has slowly become a reality. Within five years, the program produced kilometers of roads and thousands of bridges. It was also able to complete flood control projects, airport projects, and seaport projects. Going beyond transportation, evacuation centers and classrooms were also built. The Build, Build, Build project did not only focus on the connections between the areas of the country. The project also considered how these infrastructures contribute to the holistic development of the country. The Night Owl gives the reader a front-row view on the progress of the Build, Build, Build program through the past years. The program might not reach its full actualization for a few more years, but it indeed laid a foundation for a better future of the country — BRIAN POE LLAMANZARES Philantropist | Entrepreneur | Public Servant
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
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