THE House of Representatives, convening as the Committee of the Whole, on Tuesday approved a report seeking to realign some P51.792 billion of the proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 2019 to fund other programs.
Majority Leader Rolando R. Andaya Jr., who chairs the Committee of the Whole, said the proposed fund realignment is not meant to “destroy” the Executive branch’s budget proposal “but [aims] to strengthen it.”
Andaya said “unforeseen events” such as the devastation of Typhoon Ompong (international code name Mangkhut) prompted the introduction of amendments in the budget proposal so it would be attuned to the country’s needs.
“There are some intervening events, which occur during the budget execution phase and the budget, this important document, should not be firewalled against them,” he said in his speech during the meeting of the committee.
“When we spot errors in the course of our review, we serve the President’s cause and the people’s interest if we correct those. We betray their trust, if we remain silent,” Andaya added.
The bulk of the P51.792 billion from the DPWH, or P31.592 billion, would remain with the agency but would be used for other purposes, such as the construction of various access roads that would lead to tourism destinations, economic zones and to decongest traffic.
Based on the committee report, P10.8 billion was allocated for the construction of access roads leading to tourism destinations; P10.792 billion, for access roads leading to economic zones; and P10 billion, for roads and bridges to decongest traffic.
“This is to decongest traffic in urban areas in the hope of partially relieving the daily calvary of commuters. This is intended to boost tourism receipts by easing the access to tourist draws. If you build them, they will come,” Andaya said.
“Because to create jobs, roads through which commerce and workers will pass are indispensable,” he added.
Additional P6 billion for DOH
The Department of Health (DOH) would receive an additional P6 billion for next year, with half of it going to its health facilities enhancement program.
“This was reduced to practically nil at P50 million. But hospitals need equipment. With more people getting sick, they should be…perpetually upgrading,” Andaya said. The remaining P3 billion reallocated to the DOH would be used “to stave off the mass layoff of 6,000 nurses, doctors and dentists,” according to Andaya.
Both the Department of Agriculture (DA) and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) received an additional budget of P5 billion each under the approved committee report.
Andaya said the additional budget of the DA is part of the government’s safety net pledge to rice farmers who are vulnerable to the lifting of the quantitative restriction. The P5 billion would be used for the DA’s farm-to-market road program. The additional P5 billion of the NDRRMC is for Typhoon Ompong rehabilitation efforts.
The Department of Education would receive an additional P3 billion next year for the construction of technical-vocational laboratories, while state universities and colleges would be given another P1.2 billion to complement the free tuition law.