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News
December 22, 2009
Budget advocates welcome Congress’
passage of P1.541 Trillion 2010 Nat’l
budget
Laud
Congress but warned ‘Malacanang may
impound alternative budget proposals’
BUDGET advocates on Tuesday welcomed
Congress’ approval of the P1.541
Trillion national budget which included
some of civil society’s alternative
budget proposals for health, education,
agriculture and the environment.
Former National Treasurer Leonor
Magtolis Briones, lead convenor of
Social Watch Philippines which organized
the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI),
said while Congress’ version was not
their idea of a “responsive budget”, the
fact that some of their alternative
budget proposals were adopted means
there is an increasing level of
awareness among lawmakers about the role
of civil society in the budget process.
ABI, a consortium of 60 nongovernment
organizations that actively engage the
government in the budget process has
been calling for increased budget
allocation for social and economic
services.
For 2010, the ABI proposed an additional
P25.23 billion budget for health,
education, agriculture and environment
sectors which they deem will be crucial
for the Filipinos to survive the impacts
of the global financial crisis and
climate change.
Some of the “budget gains” identified by
ABI are the P1.093-billion increase from
the proposed P11.097 billion to 12.190
billion in the budget of the Department
of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
as proposed by the Philippine Senate.
The policy research and advocacy group
La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) had
earlier proposed to retain the DENR’s
budget to its 2009 level as against
Malacanang’s proposal to slash the
agency’s budget by P2 billion.
On top of retaining some important
budget items under the environment and
natural resources sector, La Liga also
proposed an additional budget of P11.14
billion to finance specific climate
change mitigation and adaptation
measures that will make the 2010
national budget “climate sensitive.” The
group, which acts as the secretariat of
the Environment Cluster of ABI also
lauded lawmakers who adopted their
proposal to fund the rehabilitation of
some of the country’s protected areas
and national parks.
Jonathan Ronquillo, Envi Campaigner of
La Liga said the P1.093 billion increase
in the DENR’s budget should be able to
provide financing for critical
conservation and rehabilitation programs
for the environment.
For her part, Merci Ferrer of Health
Care Without Harm (HCWH) of ABI’s Health
Cluster, meanwhile expressed elation
over Congress’ adoption of their
proposals, which resulted in an increase
of P565.96 million, which include P20
million for environment and occupational
health, P100 million for the expanded
program for immunization, P50 million
for rabies control, P20 million for
national epidemiological and disease
surveillance, P100 million for the
autoclaves, and P35.87 million for
health human resource development.
The increase in the budget for education
consistent with civil society’s
alternative budget proposal amounted to
P843.91million, which include proposal
for increases of P500 million for
alternative learning system and P100
million for human resources training and
development.
For the Agriculture Sector, the
Bicameral Conference Committee also
increased the budget for the Department
of Agriculture (DA) by P1.98 billion.
With Congress’ approval of the 2010
national budget, Briones said it is now
up to Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to
sign the General Appropriations Act (GAA)
and make sure that the budget items are
released on time.
“For once, Pres. Arroyo should act as
President by respecting the system of
check and balance. It is time she
respects Congress’ power of the purse
and make sure that the budgets are
released according to their purpose as
determined by Congress,” Briones said.
According to Briones, signing the 2010
national budget will be considered by
civil society as Pres. Arroyo’s gift
this Christmas, with the hope that in
the last six months of her term, some of
the budgets allocated by Congress,
including those that were impounded in
2008, will finally be released.
“She better watch out. This is her last
term as President and so is her last
chance to show, at least for once, her
statesmanship,” Briones said.
Briones warned Arroyo of exercising her
veto power to erase the increases in the
budget for critical social development
programs, saying too much is at stake.
She said the government needs to enact a
2010 national budget to fast track the
government’s rehabilitation efforts in
typhoon-affected areas, particularly in
Metro Manila and Luzon.
She also warned Congress not to be
complacent as their power of the purse
can be eroded by Pres. Arroyo by placing
certain budget items under conditional
veto. The release of funds for budget
items under conditional veto, such as
budget increases made by Congress, will
be subject to the discretion of the
President.
“Under conventional veto, some budget
items may end up being impounded by the
Office of the President. This will mean
that the next President may or may not
release the budget and later on transfer
the fund to use it for other purposes,”
she said
.
.
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