Senator JV Ejercito on Wednesday questioned the reported realignment of around P206 billion in the House of Representatives’ version of the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.
Ejercito, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, confirmed that the Senate received the 2027 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) from the House on Tuesday. Copies were distributed to senators and other concerned offices on Wednesday morning, he said.
“Kinukumpirma natin may mga pagbabago, malaking pagbabago mula sa National Expenditure Program at sa House version ng GAB. Ang aking initial reaction, nakakapagtaka lang na tayo’y natanggalan o nabawasan ng pondo sa ilang mga programa,” Ejercito said.
(We confirm that there are significant changes between the National Expenditure Program and the House version of the GAB. My initial reaction is that it is puzzling that funding for certain programs was removed or reduced.)
Among the funding reductions he flagged were:
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P130 billion for foreign-assisted projects;
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P9.5 billion for the calamity fund;
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P4.6 billion for flood mitigation structures within major river basins;
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P4.4 billion for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program;
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P4 billion for the Immunization Program;
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P2.6 billion for right-of-way acquisition; and
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P2 billion for health promotion.
Ejercito said the transportation sector also suffered a major cut of P40.4 billion, including P19.7 billion intended for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) and P15 billion for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR).
The MMSP is a 33-kilometer underground railway designed to provide faster mass transportation across Metro Manila, connecting Valenzuela City to Pasay City, with a spur line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
The NSCR is a 147-kilometer railway project that will connect Clark in Pampanga to Calamba in Laguna, improving connectivity between Central Luzon, Metro Manila and Southern Luzon.
The Senate finance committee chairperson noted that allocations for some agencies had increased.
The Department of Agriculture (DA), for instance, received a new P10-billion line item for the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk Program.
Ejercito also said the budget for the Department of Health’s Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) Program also increased by P23.9 billion.
For the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), he said the allocation for construction, maintenance, rehabilitation and widening projects increased by P13 billion, while another P8.04 billion was added for flood mitigation structures.
“Ang initial ano ay sa ilang trilyon, almost P206 [billion] ang nagalaw or naiba. So wala na hong naiwan para sa Senado dito na para naman sa mga institutional amendments. Kumbaga limitadong limitado na kami dito,” Ejercito said.
(The initial figure we found was that almost P206 billion had been realigned. So almost nothing was left for the Senate to introduce institutional amendments. In other words, we are extremely limited.)
Nevertheless, Ejercito said the budget process involved balancing competing priorities and that adjustments to budget proposals were normal.
“Ang kailangan lang tiyakin natin na malaman natin ang mga pagbabago, ano ang dahilan at purpose at kung paano mapupunta ba ito sa pangunahing may kailangan. But be reassured that we will always maintain our transparency from the start,” he said.
(We simply need to understand the changes, the reasons and purposes behind them, and how the funds will reach those who need them most. Rest assured that we will maintain transparency from the very beginning.)
He encouraged civil society organizations and watchdog groups to participate in the budget hearings and continue monitoring the process through the bicameral conference committee deliberations.
Ejercito also said he had directed the subcommittees of the Senate Committee on Finance to submit their reports by Friday, October 23, ahead of the start of plenary budget deliberations on November 23.
On Monday, the House of Representatives approved its version of the GAB on third and final reading, with 281 votes in favor, 13 against and one abstention.
Lawmakers who voted against the measure, including Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno, due to the cuts in the budget allocations for education and public services, and increased allocations for patronage-driven assistance.
He also decried the lack of transparency and meaningful participation in the budget process.
"The budget is a reflection of our values. We cannot tell our people that we have no money for their children’s schools and their families’ medicine, while finding hundreds of billions for unvetted infrastructure and political discretion,” Diokno said.— MCG, GMA News
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