In a speech marking his first 100 days in office, Aquino said the savings will be used to combat poverty by increasing allocations for social welfare, education and health services.

Aquino won the presidency by a landslide in May on a strong anti-corruption platform that targeted his predecessor, now Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who served nine years as president.

“We are spending wisely. No peso will be wasted,” Aquino said.

Renato Reyes, secretary general of the left-wing alliance Bayan, accused Aquino of failing to address human rights violations, land reform, and the welfare of millions of overseas workers who help keep the economy afloat with their billions of dollars in remittances.

He said Aquino also has failed to make Arroyo account for alleged corruption and rights violations during her presidency.

Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director of the New York-based Human Rights Watch, said the group is “still waiting” for Aquino to fulfill election promises to address human rights violations. She said 16 activists and three journalists have been victims of extrajudicial killings since June.

Aquino said his government saved $990 million after winning a dispute over a contract to build a new airport terminal. He also said he suspended bonuses and allowances of directors of 122 government corporations and agencies.

He said in one water agency alone, nine directors each used to receive 2.5 million pesos ($57,400) yearly.

A rebidding of public works projects has saved about 30 percent of 934.1 million pesos ($21.5 million), he said.

“We have fixed in just 100 days what the former administration was unable to do in 3,448 days,” he said.

Aquino said his anti-poverty program will leave no one behind.

He said more than 43,000 jobs will be created by over $2 billion in foreign investments that were committed during his trip to the United States last month. The country’s booming call center industry also will create more than 200,000 new jobs, he said.