MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III has announced the abolition of legislators' pork barrel, which will be replaced by a new system that will go through the national budgetary process.
Under the new system, lawmakers may only identify initiatives that can benefit their respective jurisdictions, which will be listed as line items under the national budget if approved.
The items will come from a specific menu of qualified projects, excluding consumable “soft†projects–including fertilizers and seeds, medicine, medical kits, sports fests and training materials–which are repeatedly prone to misuse and fund leakage.
These line items will no longer be disbursed to non-government organizations and certain government-owned and controlled corporations. Short-term infrastructure projects such as dredging and desilting activities will also be prohibited.
Through the government's Official Gazette, the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office has released an infographic regarding the new system: