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In the
Philippines, when a national catastrophe occurs, the
fastest to react are the people, not the government.
Take the case of Panay. It is now
becoming clear that even as we try to retrieve our dead
from their watery grave off Sibuyan Island, we have to
take care of the living in Panay’s devastated provinces
like Iloilo and Aklan.
In Iloilo, while officials are publicly
wrangling over assistance to flood victims, people in
civic and religious organizations are rolling up their
sleeves and doing what needs to be done.
People and institutions from nearby
provinces are pitching in. Negros Oriental is the poorer
Negros province. Nonetheless, it responded quickly.
Central Philippine University, a leading
institution in Iloilo, had reported that its campus was
covered in knee-deep mud. The dormitories were flooded
and the students’ clothes were buried in mud. Other
schools were also damaged. More alarming was the
shortage of drinking water. Bottled water originally
selling for P12 is now selling at an exorbitant P100 per
bottle.
Silliman University president Ben
Malayang III quickly mobilized the university community.
Everyone responded, including grade-school pupils. A
truckload of relief goods and food was speedily
collected. The university’s fire truck was dispatched to
help in collecting water to wash out mud and debris, as
well as in delivering drinking water. When Gov. Dodo
Macias and Rep. George Arnaiz learned that Silliman
wanted to send rice, both officials, who are alumni,
volunteered to send rice.
To reach Iloilo, the Silliman contingent
had to go first to Bacolod in Negros Occidental, and
from there, load the vehicles in the ferry boat to
Iloilo City. Assistance was also extended to Aklan.
When a small university in what is
considered one of the poorest provinces in the country
rushes to the aid of people in a much richer province,
there is hope for this country.
This column is certain that many other
institutions, groups and individuals are helping the
living. Still, the government has a role to play. It has
to take care of the poorest and most vulnerable who
cannot be reached by private institutions. It has to
regulate the flow of assistance so sectors who need the
most help will not be left out.
In the meantime, while government
officials are either visibly absent or busily wrangling,
people are helping other people.
Unveiling the Unprogrammed Fund
After government officials came out with
the explanation that the source of the P500 power
subsidy is the Unprogrammed Fund, the assumption was
that the debate on its legality is now settled. Far from
it.
Last week Social Watch Philippines
called on the government to adhere to the provisions of
the General Appropriations Act on the Unprogrammed Fund.
Are there provisions in the Unprogrammed
Fund of the General Appropriations Act that provides for
subsidies?
Congress says yes, while Social Watch
says no. To resolve the conversation, let us look at
page 598 of the General Appropriations Act. We are told
that Item No. 5 for Social Services and Infrastructure
contains the elusive provisions on power subsidies. This
item provides that savings in excess of P24.904 billion
from excess allocation of interest on foreign loans
“shall be used to fund priority requirements of the
health and education sector.” Obviously, this item does
not refer to excess value-added tax (VAT) collection but
the overestimation of interest on debt due to the
exchange rate of the peso.
Item No. 5 is very specific. The Special
Provisions are very clear. These are priority programs
for the Department of Education’s health and nutrition
program, alternative learning program, and additional
operational requirements of the National Book
Development Board.
The priority programs for the Department
of Health are likewise specified. These are programs on
family planning, deworming for children and additional
operating requirements for tropical medicine.
Furthermore, the Unprogrammed Fund in
the General Appropriations Act also contains Special
Provisions on Use of Income (Item 8) and Use of Excess
Income (Item 9). The government claims that there is
excess in income. Well, Item No. 8 provides that there
has to be a showing that there is really excess income.
There might be excesses in VAT collection but there
could be shortfalls in other sources of revenue.
The provision on the Use of Excess
Income states explicitly that a special budget has to be
passed for new appropriations pursuant to Section 35,
Chapter 5, Book VI of Executive Order 292.
So there! |
