Rodriguez wants projected unused 2020 budget to be used for ‘For Later Release’ items

Cagayan De Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez on Tuesday urged the Department of Budget (DBM) to use its projected unused appropriations by the end of this year to fund infrastructure projects that have been tagged under "For Later Release" (FLR) amounting to P271 billion.

Rodriguez made the call during the House appropriations panel deliberations on the proposed 2021 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

During the briefing, DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral said that only half of the FLR funds will be released this year, amounting to P135.5 billion, while the remaining half is included in the 2021 proposed budget of the department.

This was confirmed by DPWH Secretary Mark Villar.

"With regards to the FLR, there are still some portions of that that have to be released. Of course, I cannot comment directly on the numbers of the DBM because I'm not in the position to give comments on the statistics of the DBM. But I can speak for our department," he said.

"Our projects now are continuing, we've already set down the guidelines for construction. We met challenges because as you know, during the beginning of this pandemic, we had to shut down all of our construction, so this affected us somehow. But as of now all systems go in construction, tuluy-tuloy naman," he added.

According to the DBM, FLR items are those whose release is subject to compliance with specific conditions, such as documentary requirements and approvals from appropriate authorities.

Some items under the 2020 General Appropriations Act, particularly those that were supposedly congressional insertions, were placed under FLR when President Rodrigo Duterte was reviewing the budget bill submitted by Congress.

Rodriguez, during the briefing, pointed out that the DBM has confirmed that there is a projected adjusted unused appropriation by the end of 2020 amounting to P461 billion.

He suggested that this could be used so that all items under FLR could be released this year.

"Don't you agree that there should be the use of the unused appropriation to be able for you to request the DBM and DBM to give this P271 billion?" he asked Villar.

Villar, in response, said that while he is not an expert on matters involving the DBM, he agrees that the projects to be funded by allocations under FLR could help pump-prime the economy.

"On our part, we really want as many projects to be finished as soon as possible," he added.

Rodriguez turned to ask the DBM the same question, but only Director Maria Grace Delos Santos was present to respond to him as Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado was not around.

"That is a policy decision that can be answered by my superiors. I will inform the secretary regarding his request and it will be his decision," Delos Santos said.

"Secretary Avisado is now in a prior engagement so he cannot be around. I'm sure he will make his help available when the time comes," she added.

Nevertheless, Villar assured Rodriguez that the DPWH will assist Congress regarding his concern.

"I will personally speak with Secretary Wendel about this," he said. "I will be assisting the Congress in this issue. I will really do my best to see how we can resolve it at the soonest possible time." — BM, GMA News