|
It is
March 2008 already. Very soon, the first quarter of the
year will be over. The entire country is caught in the
wave of public indignation over the latest developments
in the ZTE/NBN deal. This is as it should be. At the
same time, the administration claims that it cannot be
distracted from its day-to-day chores. But hey, what
about the 2008 budget? It is still awaiting approval by
the President.
Since
August 2008, the two houses of Congress have scrutinized
in great detail the President’s proposed 2008 budget.
They have met their deadlines. The versions of the House
and the Senate have already been harmonized by the
“Third House,” or the bicameral committee. It has been
submitted to the President for her signature. In the
meantime, as provided by the Constitution, the
government is operating on a reenacted 2007 budget.
The
legislative version of the 2008 budget is significant
and even historical in many respects. It was
characterized by active civil-society participation in
the budget deliberations. Substantial increases in
social development, particularly education, health,
agriculture and environment, were put in by both the
House and the Senate. Significantly, the proposal for
debt service was reduced by P29 billion, which was
transferred to social development.
So what
are the implications of this continued delay in the
presidential approval of the 2008 budget?
First,
because the budget is delayed, new programs and
additional allocations for social development are,
likewise, delayed. The largest increases in the 2008
budget are in health and education. These increases are
meaningless since they are not being implemented at all.
Social
Watch
Philippines and
its partner-organizations have been campaigning for
increases in Millennium Development Goals (MDG)-related
expenditures. Two of its major proposals for health have
been approved by the House, Senate and the Third House.
One is the provision for one midwife per barangay. Think
of the thousands of mothers whose lives will be saved by
the presence of health personnel!
Another
approved provision is for autoclave equipment for
hospitals and health units all over the country. These
are sterilizing equipment for instruments used in
treating diseases, especially for operations. Think of
the countless lives which can be saved by the simple
expedient of effective sterilization of hospital
instruments!
Second,
expenditures which are delayed are also expenditures
which are lost. This simply means that the budget, once
approved, is not necessarily retroactive. If the
effectivity of the 2008 budget will be in April, it does
not mean that the intended allocations for January to
March will be released. The budget can only be
effective at the time it will be signed.
The
present situation can be advantageous for a
cash-strapped government or for an administration
obsessed with “balancing” the budget at the expense of
responding to urgent needs of the people. They can amass
a few billions in so-called savings but lose lives and
delay improved education facilities, better agriculture
and enhanced environment.
Third,
perpetual delays in presidential approval of the budget
diminishes the role of the Legislature as a co-equal
branch of government. The Legislature is very proud of
its role in the passage of the Appropriation Act. It is
very proud of the additional allocations for social
development and other adjustments in the proposed
budget. All these are for naught, since the Executive
effectively slashes expenditures and underspends by the
mere expedient of delaying the budget.
Fourth,
delays in the passage of the budget can only reflect on
the efficiency and effectiveness of public governance.
The country can boast about big increases in health and
education expenditures, but in reality spend much less
due to inefficiency.
Social
Watch
Philippines, its
partner-legislators and-organizations are calling for
the immediate approval of the 2008 budget. After all, a
government characterized by delays and inefficiency is a
government characterized by failure.
Do
Filipinos need a Women’s Day?
March 8,
Saturday, was International Women’s Day. Many women
have forgotten the day.
Surely,
Filipinos protest, we don’t need a Women’s Day. After
all, the Filipino woman is the best man in the
Philippines, as the bad joke goes.
Nevertheless, women’s issues remain problematic in the
Philippines. For example, sexual harassment at the
work-place is still rampant. In many offices supposedly
peopled by professionals trained in the best schools,
people are not even aware of the provisions of the law.
Women themselves are not aware that they are being
sexually harassed.
We still
need to teach men and women about gender sensitivity.
No, we don’t need a Women’s Day. We need a Gender Day.
|
