Tag: budget

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Lacson Pushes Budget Reforms to Ensure Transparency, Alignment, Realistic Execution

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Tuesday renewed his push for reforms that would enhance transparency in government spending, alignment between the national government and local government units (LGUs), and flexibility for implementing projects, activities, and programs.

At the Senate finance committee’s hearing, Lacson raised major concerns that include the “disappearance” of the Unified Accounts Code Structure (UACS), the need to synchronize local development councils’ outputs with national budget calls, and limitations on unprogrammed appropriations.

Lacson, a watchdog of the national budget, pushed for the strict implementation of the UACS system used to track the projects for funding in the budget bill, noting that the UACS would disappear once the National Expenditure Program (NEP) is transformed into the House and Senate versions or authorization phase of the budget cycle – then reappear on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM)’s website during implementation of the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

In Filipino: Lacson, Itinulak ang Reporma sa Badyet para sa Transparency, Pagkakaugnay, at Realistic na Pagpapatupad

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Lacson: Unprogrammed Funds Constitutional, but Must Strictly Follow Safeguards

Unprogrammed appropriations under the Special Purpose Fund in the national budget are constitutional and even necessary, so long as they strictly follow the safeguards or three special provisions under the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed this Tuesday after Supreme Court Justice Ramon Paul Hernando said the practice of integrating unprogrammed appropriations in the GAA is unconstitutional and even “repugnant.”

“With all due respect to Justice Hernando, ‘Unprogrammed Appropriations’ under the Special Purpose Fund is necessary to augment certain items under the Regular Budget as long as the same strictly complies with the three Special Provisions under the GAA, namely: (a) there is an excess non-tax revenue collection; (b) there is an accompanying or new revenue measure and; (c) approved loans,” Lacson said.

“Further, only the President may approve such augmentation due to some justifiable reasons in order to fully implement specific programs, activities and projects (PAPs) clearly identified therein,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson: Konstitusyonal ang Unprogrammed Funds, Pero Dapat Mahigpit na Sumunod sa Safeguards

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Lacson Pushes Maximizing LGUs’ Participation in Crafting Budget

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Thursday pushed anew for maximizing the participation of local government units (LGUs) in the crafting of the national budget, with their priority programs and activities getting a bigger share of the budget pie.

Lacson said that while only 35 percent of projects endorsed by regional development councils are accommodated in the National Expenditure Program, he is hoping this can be enhanced to up to 60 percent.

“(Our effort) is to get them involved in the preparation of the NEP, maximize their participation. In fact the President himself issued Executive Order 82 strengthening and enhancing the participation of regional development councils. And the RDCs rely heavily on local development councils,” he said in his interpellation of the proposed 2026 budget for the DILG’s Support to Local Governance Program.

“Sa ngayon we’re still at 35% of the entire NEP sa budget call. Ang pumapasok sa NEP sa mga 35% output ng RDCs. We want to further enhance that makarating man lang ng 50-60% (For now only 35% of the projects endorsed by the regional development councils are accommodated in the NEP. We want to further enhance that to 50-60%),” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Itinulak ang Mas Malaking Papel para sa LGU sa Pagbuo ng Budget

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Lacson: Why Did Ex-DPWH Chief Bonoan Take Project ‘Memos’ from ‘Outsiders’?

Why did ex-Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Sec. Manuel Bonoan receive handwritten “memos” from civilians or non-organic DPWH personnel on which projects to endorse when he headed the department?

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson bared this Tuesday as the Senate continues to look into the effects of corruption behind anomalous flood control and other infrastructure projects.

“I am baffled by the documents I saw, where Bonoan received handwritten memos that turned out to be from civilians or non-organic DPWH personnel. How did these memos, which were scribbled on Post-It notes, get to Bonoan?” Lacson said in Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio.

“That’s the hard part. Such communications didn’t go through the official channels of the department. Why is the secretary dealing with them directly?” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson: Ex-DPWH Chief Bonoan Tumanggap ng mga “Memo” Mula sa Tagalabas?

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Lacson to Fellow Lawmakers: Revelations on Huge Budget Insertions a Wake-Up Call to Make 2026 Budget Pork-Free

The revelations on humongous budget insertions by the Senate and House of Representatives in the 2025 budget is not meant to put anyone on the spot but be a chance for both houses of Congress to heed the public’s outrage against corruption and ensure a pork-free budget for 2026 and beyond, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Tuesday.

Lacson said he explained this to fellow senators in a caucus Monday, where some of them voiced concerns that the revelation over the insertions could affect the institution.

“I can actually feel and understand completely the sentiments expressed by my colleagues, at least the members of the majority bloc during our majority caucus yesterday, so I explained to them that the mention of ‘almost all senators’ was not intended to put them or the whole Senate on the spot, nor did I have the intention of calling them out particularly,” Lacson said.

“The overarching reason for my disclosure or revelation was to point out that we must accept the fact that we are all in crisis owing to the recent anomalies involving the substandard and even ghost flood control projects unearthed in the course of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings and other similar investigations,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson sa mga Kapwa Mambabatas: Pagbubunyag ng Malalaking Budget Insertions, Pampagising Para Alisin ang Pork sa Budget

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