Palace seeks abolition of 14 small gov’t agencies

President Arroyo is proposing the abolition of 14 small agencies in a move that is apparently intended to save the government money and keep the budget deficit down.

The 14 agencies will no longer be given funds under the 2003 budget that Malacañang is expected to submit to Congress this week, Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. (Lakas, Camarines Sur) said yesterday.

Andaya, who chairs the House appropriations committee, has been informed in advance of the Palace intention to deny funds to the 14 offices.

He said the abolition of these agencies will save the government P1.6 billion next year.

To be abolished are the Bureau of Maintenance and Bureau of Equipment of the Department of Public Works and Highways, Office of Transport Cooperatives and Telecommunications Office of the Department of Transportation and Communications, National Printing Office of the Office of Press Secretary;

Commission on Overseas Filipinos of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Commission on the Settlement of Land Problems of the Department of Justice, Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency, which is under the National Economic Development Authority;

International Coffee Organization Certifying Agency, Bonded Export Marketing Board and Construction Manpower Development Foundation, which are under the Department of Trade and Industry;

National Book Development Board, an agency under the Department of Education; and Cotton Development Administration and Agricultural Credit Policy Council, which are under the Department of Agriculture.

Among the agencies to be dissolved, the Telecommunications Office has the biggest budget (P1.143 billion) this year and the biggest number of personnel (5,145).

House Minority Leader Carlos Padilla (LDP, Nueva Vizcaya), who last year advocated the dissolution of several offices and the transfer of their functions to regular departments, said he will support the proposed abolition of the 14 agencies.

"But we have to retrain the affected personnel, give them jobs in other offices or offer them attractive separation and retirement benefits," he said.

Padilla said the number of agencies that Malacañang is proposing to collapse is "very small" and would not really save the government a significant amount.

"They should look in their own backyard. There are many commissions, committees and councils under the Office of the President that can be dissolved and their functions given to departments," he said.

He pointed out that in many departments, there are also coordinating committee or councils that can be collapsed.