The House of Representatives reallocated the ₱77.5 budget to prior present economic problems.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez said the lower chamber has reallocated ₱77.5 billion budget for health, education, transportation, and other critical social services.
To solve the challenges to the present economy, health, energy, and environment that affect millions of Filipinos, Romualdez said, the House increased the budget of frontline agencies throughout the period of amendments. These include:
· ₱20.25 billion for several programs of the Department of Health (DoH) such as ₱13 billion for Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients; ₱5 billion for allowance of healthcare workers (HCWs) and non-HCWs and front liners; ₱500 million each for the Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), and Philippine Children’s Medical Center Health; ₱270 million each for the 10 dialysis centers throughout the Philippines; ₱250 million for Cancer Assistance Program.
· ₱500 million for the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH).
· ₱10 billion for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) school building/classroom construction and ₱581 million for special education programs.
· ₱10 billion for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to construct water systems in underserved upland barangays.
· ₱5 billion for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD), assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations; ₱5 billion to upgrade senior citizens’ pensions through the National Commission of Senior Citizens; ₱2.5 billion for the Sustainable Livelihood Program.
· ₱5.5 billion for Department of Transportation (DoTr) programs to address the rising cost of fuel like the fuel subsidy program, Libreng Sakay, and bike lane construction
· ₱5 billion for the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) training and scholarship programs.
· ₱5 billion for the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) Tulong Dunong Program.
· ₱5 billion for the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DoLE) livelihood and emergency employment programs.
· ₱1.5 billion for the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) national broadband project.
· ₱500 million for the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) new building;
· ₱300 million for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to train law enforcement officers to be conducted by the Department of Justice (DoJ) and National Prosecution Service.
· ₱250 million for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to assist the creative industry under Republic Act 11904.
· ₱150 million for the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
· ₱147 million for the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
· ₱50 million for the National Electrification Administration’s (NEA) barangay and sitio electrification program.
The budget reallocations will surely be a good help to millions of Filipino workers in the country and to various departments, and social services
Romualdez commended the House of Representatives, especially committee chairman Rep. Zaldy Co and senior vice chair Rep. Stella Quimbo for the quick passage on third reading and for acting expeditiously yet cautiously on the proposed amendments.
“I’m pleased that the House-approved version of the General Appropriations Bill responds to the most urgent needs of Filipinos. We need to ensure that social services are sufficient for the greater good of our countrymen, especially those in dire need of basic social services to survive,” Manila Standard quoted Romualdez.
Meanwhile, Co said his committee endeavored to free up appropriations from agencies whose funds are unlikely to be fully utilized within 2023, based on historical performance or specific circumstances of their spending program.
“The idea is to allocate more budget for pro-people programs and projects without the need of imposing new taxes. One thing is sure: all major infrastructure projects will proceed as scheduled based on a timetable that is implementable for 2023,” Co said.
Tags: #HouseofRepresentatives. #Budget, #Economy