Money heist

What we’re seeing now is a jaw-dropping money heist involving our education and health care budgets.

This is a test case for President Marcos. He must fix this immediately if only to prove that he meant it when he said that he wants to see every Filipino thrive and not just survive.

Slashing the budgets for education and health care, however, clearly goes against this and would, in fact, pull us back further than we already are.

Where will these budget cuts go? Where else but to the projects of lawmakers as they try to win desperate voters ahead of the 2025 mid-term elections and later on, the 2028 elections.

The result is a continuous cycle of patronage politics.

Education budget

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has a proposed budget of P825 billion; our lawmakers added P289 billion to raise the budget to P1.1 trillion.

There is reason to be wary about this, especially as these funds would likely go to more flood control projects and enable lawmakers to pocket billions from kickbacks.

These projects, after all, are sources of kickbacks because they are difficult to monitor: river dredging, flood-gates, seawalls and what-have-you.

And then there’s also the favorite source of kickbacks as exposed by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong – cat’s eyes and highway rock nettings.

Where do the kickbacks go? Perhaps to more hidden wealth for these corrupt politicians, upscale homes in posh residential enclaves abroad, private jets maybe, or to multimillion peso designer bags for their wives and mistresses.

ECC: Early campaign contribution

Unscrupulous DPWH and lawmakers benefit from this brazen and audacious system of corruption.

This is perhaps the reason why corruption at the DPWH is again the talk of the town among local and foreign contractors. Honest businessmen can only cower in shame as their partners inquire about the so-called “return of corruption” at the DPWH.

All of a sudden, little known contractors claiming to be endorsed by powerful people in Malacañang are getting favored treatment.

That this is happening now is no surprise. Elections, after all, are just around the corner.

One project has a budget of P11 billion and for this, DPWH is reportedly considering a never-before-heard-of contractor.

My colleague, The STAR’s Andrew Masigan, also earlier wrote about bidding terms at DPWH seemingly favoring some contractors (“Something fishy at the DPWH,” Dec. 11, 2024).

Indeed, there’s something fishy again at the DPWH, a department notorious for corruption until Sec. Babes Singson fixed it during his tenure. Apparently, the syndicates inside are back to their old ways.

But what do our lawmakers do? They increase the DPWH’s budget at the expense of our education and health care funds.

The Department of Education (DepEd) got P737 billion, which is P12 billion less than originally proposed. State colleges and universities got P122 billion or P30 billion less.

Clearly, this is a violation of the Constitution that says, “The State shall assign highest budgetary priority to education.”

It’s no surprise that our students’ aptitude has spiraled to the depths of despair.

Zero subsidy for PhilHealth

Our state-owned health insurer PhilHealth, meanwhile, will receive no subsidy in 2025.

Lawmakers said that PhilHealth can tap its reserve funds.

Expect hospitals to be affected by this as PhilHealth will find it even more difficult to settle bills in the different hospitals in the country.

Did you know that in some hospitals, PhilHealth has unsettled bills of P200 million and even more?

“This ‘zero subsidy’ is unfair, illegal and potentially unconstitutional. How about our fellow countrymen who cannot pay their premium contribution?” Sen. Risa Hontiveros said. “This is a big blow to our goal of achieving universal health care in the country.”

Hontiveros was correct in pointing out that under the PhilHealth charter, the Sin Tax Law and the Universal Healthcare Act, a portion of taxes must be allocated to PhilHealth regardless of its excess funds.

She also pointed out that reserve funds are intended for emergencies or future obligations.

AKAP

Against this backdrop, lawmakers opted to set aside P26 billion for the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) fund, which critics pointed out may be used to perpetuate patronage politics in the country.

While we’re all busy with the holiday rush, a great money heist is unfolding as lawmakers tinker with the people’s budget through last minute insertions. This is alarming.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said President Marcos has vowed to turn things around for his department.

Angara said the budget cuts could derail the DepEd’s flagship computerization program.

But his consolation is that the President has given him the assurance that he would fix the problem.

Marcos has no choice. He must fix this to fulfill his campaign promises.

If he does not do something about it, Marcos 2.0, just like his father’s administration, will also be known for brazen money heists.

But if BBM is truly serious about vindicating the Marcos name, he must prioritize quality education and health services by allocating sufficient budgets to these sectors.

After all, didn’t he say over and over, “Sama-sama tayong babangon muli?”

*   *   *

Email: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.