House approves ‘pork-less’ P2.3-T budget for 2014

MANILA, Philippines - Amid the raging controversy over the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), the House of Representatives approved on second reading last night the now “pork-less” P2.268-trillion national budget for 2014.

The plenary deliberations on the proposed 2014 General Appropriations Act (GAA) began on Sept. 16 that saw lawmakers grappling with the abolition of the P25-billion PDAF, which was broken up and distributed to several agencies such as the Departments of Public Works and Highways, Health, Labor and Employment, and Education.

“We have been telling our committee members and colleagues that we really have to focus on the approval of the budget, the PDAF is just one percent of the GAA,” Rep. Isidro Ungab, head of appropriations committee, said.

Ungab said House members were demoralized over the abolition of the PDAF as lawmakers depend on it to fund numerous requests for medical and scholarship assistance of their constituents.

“As before, we have to take the moral high ground and we’ll find ways to address the needs of our constituents,” he said.

Except for the realignment of the PDAF, there were no major changes to the national expenditure program submitted by Malacañang, including the “presidential pork” estimated at over P400 million.

The proposed budget, which is 13.1 percent higher than this year’s P2.006-trillion program, would address key expenditure requirements for social development and inclusive growth initiatives under the Aquino administration, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said.

The government allocated the largest portions of the proposed budget to the DepEd with P281.8 billion, followed by DPWH with P200 billion.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government was given the third highest allocation at P99 billion.

The proposed budgets of the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Transportation and Communications, National Defense, and Interior and Local Government took several hours of questioning before hurdling the plenary.

PDAF broken up

Following President Aquino’s call for Congress to abolish the PDAF, the House apportioned the congressional allocations to the DPWH, DOH, DOLE, the Departments of Social Welfare and Development, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

These agencies will be the ones to directly implement infrastructure or “hard” projects identified by lawmakers as well as the “soft” assistance to their constituents like scholarships and medical help.

An additional P9.65 billion was given to the DPWH for congressional infrastructure projects itemized by House members last night.

The DSWD received an additional P4.71 billion for assistance to persons in crisis while the DOH got P3.69 billion to be downloaded to government hospitals, specialty hospitals and local government unit hospitals for hospitalization and medical assistance; DOLE and TESDA, P3.69 billion for employment and training assistance; CHED, P2.66 billion for scholarships, and P1.02 billion for the DepEd.

For the infrastructure programs, each lawmaker will identify P24.5 million worth of projects for their respective districts limited to local roads, bridges, footbridges, classrooms or schools, multi-purpose buildings, and levels 2 and 3 water supply systems.

Each lawmaker can identify only a maximum of five “hard” projects.

Ungab said there would be mechanisms to govern the disbursement of funds for “soft” programs.

“Every congressman was already informed there are existing guidelines, policies on (spending) so everybody must follow them,” he said.

Ungab, however, said various lump sum allocations under the Office of the President would remain intact, like the P7.5-billion calamity fund and the P1-billion contingent fund.      

Tempers flare

Meanwhile, ABAKADA-Guro party-list Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz and Quezon City Rep. Christopher Belmonte had a quarrel at the resumption of session yesterday morning.

The spat started when De la Cruz approached Belmonte, who was acting majority leader at the time, to ask whether the latter could do something to let him grill the sponsor of the proposed budget of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

De la Cruz said he had been waiting since Thursday to interpellate the proposed ARMM budget but it was already approved when he arrived.

As the two lawmakers appeared to be coming to blows, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II put his arm over De la Cruz and led him away.

De la Cruz later denied that they were close to a fistfight but admitted he raised his voice at Belmonte.