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Lawmakers sound alarm on 'massive cuts' in education budget

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Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/news/06/08/20180604-school-class-opening-md2_9131-md.jpg"/><figcaption>Students classes at the President Corazon C. Aquino Elementary School in Quezon City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/file</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - Lawmakers raised concern Tuesday over what they call “massive cuts” in the proposed 2019 budget of the Department of Education (DepEd).For 2019, DepEd was allocated P528.8 billion, which is lower by P51.8 billion or 8.9 percent than its 2018 budget of P580.6 billion.Allocation for textbooks and instructional materials next year has been reduced by 40 percent from the 2018 budget to P1.8 billion, while funding for new teachers saw a 90 percent reduction to P2.2 billion. The 2019 budget for basic education facilities like classrooms is also lower by over P70 billion or 67 percent from this year. The P34.7 billion budget for basic education facilities next year is expected to build 4,110 new classrooms, significantly less than the 47,000 new classrooms funded in 2018. Other items that suffered lower allocations are the computerization program, school-based feeding program, flexible learning options, indigenous peoples education, development and promotion of campus journalism and the national assessment for basic education.“In the field, parati pong pinapaabot sa amin ng mga teacher, abonado pa sila, kasi nagpri-print out sila ng instructional materials, tapos pino-propose niyo ngayon 40 percent reduction in the budget,” ACT TEACHERS party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio told DepEd.“How can you justify the massive cuts?” he asked.<div>CASH-BASED SYSTEM</div>Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the DepEd requested for a bigger budget amounting to P732 billion for 2019. But because of the cash-based system, which mandates agencies to spend their funds and deliver projects within the fiscal year, the DBM approved a smaller budget. The DepEd pointed out that the cash-based budget for 2019 covers only a portion of the academic year, which is not aligned with the fiscal year.“A school year starts in June and ends in March or April. But our budget is computed from January to December. So nung gumawa na po tayo ng planning parameters for the cash-based na requirement, naiba rin po pati &#x27;yung pag-compute natin ng requirements ng DepEd kasi hindi na siya from June to April na tumatawid sa susunod na taon,” DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla explained.“Because of the cash-based approach, ang hinihingi po sa atin ngayon ng DBM, ay ano ba ang kaya mo na bigyan ng contract? Ano ang kayang i-deliver ng suppliers and contractors hanggang sa payment, until December? So when we compute it, &#x27;yung mga requirements na mag-spill over to January and March was cut, and will be included in the next year’s budget. Ito ang mangyayari sa DepEd kasi nasa transition tayo ng obligation to cash-based,” she added.The existing budget system is obligation based that allocates funds for projects, which may not necessarily be delivered within the same fiscal year.Sevilla told the House Committee on Appropriations that DepEd’s 2019 cash-based budget is higher than this year’s budget, if compared to the agency’s budget obligations for 2018 alone.“Kaya po nakakalito kasi kinocompare natin &#x27;yung obligation na may school year basis, &#x27;yun po &#x27;yung P579 billion, pero kung babalik po tayo sa kung ano lang ang mababayaran ng DepEd ngayong 2018, ay P468.9 billion lang, and comparing to the cash-based ng next year, may increase pa siya na 12.5%,” she said.Tinio also expressed concern that the cash-based system might complicate the delivery of programs for agencies like DepEd.“Walang pondo &#x27;yung pang January to March. So kailangan magkaroon kayo ng 2 bidding? Siyempre may bidding kayo for 2019 and then another one for 2020. Is that a better way of doing things? Na in one school year, two rounds of procurement instead of one? Essentially, kalahati ng school year wala pang assurance na may funding until after ma-approve &#x27;yung budget nila,” Tinio said.Asked whether the DepEd supports the DBM’s position, Briones responded, “Nagco-complicate sa atin kung cash budgeting ang gagamitin. Pero siguro ang DBM ang kayang maka-explain kung ano ang mga advantages, ano ang makakabuti sa kabuuan, hindi lang samin, sa cash budgeting.”The DepEd Secretary reminded Congress that despite proposals on the national budget from the executive department, the legislature should exercise its “power of the purse” or ability to authorize spending.“The fate of the national budget, the appropriations act, is actually in the hands of the legislature, which has the power of the purse. What the executive does is propose, and the legislature disposes and it goes back to the executive, executive implements… So, it is in your hands.” Briones told the committee.

Lawmakers raised concern Tuesday over what they call “massive cuts” in the proposed 2019 budget of the Department of Education (DepEd).

Lawmakers raised concern Tuesday over what they call “massive cuts” in the proposed 2019 budget of the Department of Education (DepEd).

Lawmakers sound alarm on 'massive cuts' in education budget

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Lawmakers sound alarm on 'massive cuts' in education budget

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 29, 2018 04:40 AM PHT

|

Updated Aug 30, 2018 09:41 PM PHT

Read More:

Department of Education

DepEd

budget

2019 budget

budget cut

Antonio Tinio

Leonor Briones

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