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Lawmaker calls for 'definite' funding for healthcare workers, indigent seniors

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1726484072364GXkKis7aMAACW6-.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="House Speaker Martin Romualdez delivers a message as the House of Representatives begins plenary deliberations on the proposed 2025 national budget on Sept. 16, 2024. Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News"/>House Speaker Martin Romualdez delivers a message as the House of Representatives begins plenary deliberations on the proposed 2025 national budget on Sept. 16, 2024. Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA — House Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Party List Representative Arlene Brosas urged her colleagues on Monday to ensure funds for the social pension of indigent senior citizens and the public health emergency benefits and allowance of healthcare and non-healthcare workers.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/16/romualdez-slams-critics-who-want-accountability-but-ignore-own-funds-misuse-1444">• Romualdez slams critics who want accountability but ‘ignore’ own funds ‘misuse’</a></div>She said funding for these items should be placed under programmed appropriations or those with definite funding, and not under unprogrammed appropriations (UA), which are dependent on whether revenue collection would exceed target, or when additional grants or foreign funds are generated.“Ang gusto sana namin, sa halip na nasa UA, dapat nasa regular item ang personnel benefits and budget para sa public health emergency benefits and allowances para sa healthcare and non-healthcare workers na binabanggit kanina. At kahit ‘yung social pension for indigent senior citizens, dapat hindi ‘yun nilalagay sa unprogrammed appropriations,” Brosas said during the plenary deliberations on the proposed 2025 national budget.She also raised questions on unprogrammed appropriations, which she called a “presidential pork”. House Committee on Appropriations Senior Vice Chairperson and Marikina 2nd District Representative Stella Quimbo belied this claim, saying the Supreme Court ruled that unprogrammed funds are constitutional and not a form of pork. Unprogrammed appropriations under the proposed 2025 budget are at P158.67 billion. “Sa discretion ng presidente, kung saan ilalagay ang pondo sa ilalim ng UA, tingin po namin, pwedeng manipulahin ang funds para magkaroon ng dagdag source ng pwede niyang masabi na ito ang pinapaboran niya, so maaaring ilagay sa imprastraktura para pondohan ang kaniyang Build, Better More. Kung ganoon, sa tingin namin, isa itong presidential pork,” Brosas said. “Maliwanag naman po na nagruling na ang ating Supreme Court sa Belgica vs. DBM 2014 na hindi po pork ang unprogrammed appropriations… Malinaw po na constitutional, siya ay sumasangayon sa sistema ng line item at sumusunod po sa sufficiency at completeness test kaya nagruling ang Supreme Court, constitutional po, hindi po siya pork,” Quimbo replied.<div>BUDGET DEFICIT </div>At least two lawmakers asked how the government plans to finance the P1.537 trillion of the proposed P6.352 trillion budget for next year, when its projected revenue is only at P4.644 trillion. Quimbo said it will be financed through gross borrowings, noting that the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio is still at “manageable” levels.“Today, our debt to GDP ratio is 60.9 percent. Itong debt-to-GDP ratio ay manageable. As of now, tayo naman ay on track to our target of 56.3 percent na debt-to-GDP ratio by 2028… Kailangan productive ang paggamit ng utang. Kailangan pinapalaki natin ang ating kita para mabayaran ang utang,” she explained.<div>NTF-ELCAC </div>Kabataan Party List Representative Raoul Manuel, meanwhile, called for defunding the barangay development program of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, citing its low utilization of funds.”Dapat talaga hindi muna pondohan for 2025 itong barangay development program… Halimbawa kung sa case ng Office of the Vice President na dahil nakita natin nag-try mag-provide ng diverse services, pero sa totoo hindi nag-live up doon sa expectations kaya mainam hindi na OVP ang mag-identify ng mga beneficiary. Very similar ‘yung ginagawa ng NTF-ELCAC,&quot; he said.&quot;Totoong agencies pa rin ang nag-iimplement, pero ang nagtutukoy ng beneficiaries ay hindi ‘yung mga ahensya mismo. Parang ang nangyayari we have inefficient entities na idinadaan pa sa kanila ang pondo, tapos sa huli hindi naman talaga fully na-u-utilize at hindi pa natin nave-verify sino talaga ang nakakatanggap,” he added.“The inefficiencies and the fund rerouting we have observed sa Office of the Vice President, ito rin ang nangyayari sa NTF-ELCAC, kaya it’s actually very timely, Mr. Speaker na huwag na rin natin ipagpatuloy ‘yung ganoong nangyayari sa NTF-ELCAC,” Manuel also said.

Unprogrammed appropriations under the proposed 2025 budget are at P158.67 billion.

Unprogrammed appropriations under the proposed 2025 budget are at P158.67 billion.