Tag: Special Purpose Fund

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Lacson: ‘Restoring’ Cuts in DPWH Budget at Bicam Can Reopen Floodgates to Insertions

Accommodating the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)’s request to restore items cut from its proposed budget for 2026 could potentially reopen the floodgates to insertions, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson warned on Sunday.

Lacson said that if the items the DPWH is seeking to restore are not in the Senate and House versions of the budget bill, neither house can act on it as they agreed to tackle only their disagreeing provisions in the bicameral conference committee.

“If the DPWH appeals to restore its budget and the items it seeks are not in the House and Senate versions, it may open the floodgates to insert items that are not in either version,” he said in a mix of English and FIlipino in an interview on DZBB radio.

“In the bicam, if the items they want restored are not in the House and Senate versions, we would be violating our agreement to tackle only the disagreeing provisions, and the door would be open to insertions,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson: Pag-Restore ng Budget Cuts ng DPWH, Maaaring Maging Daan sa Pagbalik ng Insertions

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Interview on DZBB/GNTV: Walang ‘Pork’ sa 2020 Budget sa Unang Tingin? | Nov. 3, 2019

In an interview on DZBB/GNTV, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– thwarting possible attempts to insert pork in the P4.1-trillion proposed 2020 budget via bicam
– ‘most behaved’ House with P9.5B institutional amendments in the budget bill
– release of funds to address recent calamities

QUOTES and NOTES:
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On ‘Pork’ in the 2017 General Appropriations Act

The Department of Public Works and Highways regained its slashed P8-billion “pork” in the General Appropriations Act of 2017. Not only that, it got an additional P497 million, at the expense of the Calamity Fund.

Apparently, the P8.557 billion plus another P497 million added to the budget of the DPWH, which increased by P9.054 billion (from P445.766 billion to P454.721 billion), came from the huge cuts suffered by NDRRMF (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund) or Calamity Fund under the Special Purpose Fund, which was reduced from an original budget of P37.255 billion (in the NEP) to a mere P15.755 billion (in the GAA), or a reduction of P21.5 billion.

What is unfortunate is that with massive devastations brought by recent calamities starting with Pablo, Yolanda, Karen, Lawin, Nina, to name some, most of the victims might be left to fend for themselves instead of getting sufficient assistance from the government. Yolanda for example still needs at least P100 billion to fully recover. As then PARR, I recommended a funding of Php167.8 billion and up to now, looking at the annual budget being appropriated for that purpose since 2014, the amount has been a trickle in the bucket compared to the total budget required.
Continue reading “On ‘Pork’ in the 2017 General Appropriations Act”