“DEFENSE, MMDA, DICT BUDGETS HIKED; UP, SUCS, DEPED SEE CUTS” – that is, while the budget of the DPWH was enlarged by almost P289-trillion to a record P1.1 trillion.
This was how the bicameral conference committee of Congress came up with the final version of the P6.352-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
DepED’s budget was reduced by nearly P12-billion to P737 billion from the P748.6 billion approved by the House of Representatives. CHED’s budget budget was reduced by P3.4-billion from its 2024 budget of P36.7-billion. SUC’s budget for 2025 was reduced by P5.8-billion, ending with only P122.2-billion.
Ignored!
The loud calls for the public to witness a transparent bicameral conference was ignored. The dynasts-dominated Congress made sure to allot P271.9-billion budget to the Department of National Defense (DND), an increase from the P263-billion earlier approved by the House of Representatives.
Given Congress’ track record on budgeting confidential funds even for civilian agencies, the people cannot help but speculate that confidential funds have been increased.
Why did the representatives of the people give more importance to the budgets for military and infrastructure concerns, at the expense of education? Is the country in a state of war? If these government officials are thinking of national security, from outside or from within, couldn’t they get the point that talking peace with the rebels is the way forward to know and resolve the myriad problems of the economy, such as the missing P20/kg of rice, massive corruption, joblessness, unfair wages for the laborers and farmers, lack of support for the Katutubos, drug problem, credibility issues of Comelec, injustices to the families of the thousands of victims of EJKs and red-tagging by the notorious NTF-ELCAC, inefficient corruption-tainted national health system, China’s continuing bullying, and most tellingly, the fact that the “HOUSE PANEL” clearly declared the truth of the “DU30 CENTER OF CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE” -- BAD, CRIMINAL governance, in short!
Moribund
For decades now the country’s education system has been moribund with its students’ low level of learning in Math, Science, Language proficiency and critical thinking. It has been failing to meet international standards, especially after VP Sara Duterte was made the DepED secretary.
As the Congress Quad Committee on Good Governance has been finding out, her concentration was way off the education portfolio. She has been unable to explain, among other expenses, how she spent P125 million confidential funds in 11 days!
Are the dynastic representatives of the people deliberately keeping their constituents’ level of education so low making them impoverished, unable to find decent jobs, and dependent almost completely under a patronage system?
Do they influence their constituents in the "laylayan" communities to be ignorant about responsible citizenship and the importance of getting fully informed and engaged about national political and socio-economic issues that impact their lives?
It looks like these dynast-officials prefer keeping them uneducated and economically dependent enough to willingly sell their votes, come election season. Thus, the low regard on education as a priority by these dynastic lawmakers, providing insufficient budget to improve the country’s education system.
Compassion
When will the people’s representatives have the patriotism, or a bit of compassion, a heart of genuine concern for improving the country’s education system and effectively uplifting the educational level of Filipino children and youth to international standards?
Will this remain a dream, given the self-serving interests of the dynasts in government led by the top dynast leadership of President Bongbong Marcos and her VP Sara Duterte? Or what?
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonColumn #ColumnbyBoniMacaranas #PoliticsISLife