House panel looking at ways to accommodate agencies’ budget requests —Quimbo

The House Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday said it is looking at sources to accommodate government agencies' request for budget increases next year.

At a press briefing, panel vice chairperson and Marikina 2nd District Representative Stella Luz Quimbo said that while she does not want to give a premature statement until such time as all agencies have briefed the committee, one of the possible sources to accommodate budget increases is to identify departments with low absorptive capacities.

“Merong mga every year mababa ang utilization rate [Every year, there are those with low utilization rate]. Among them is DOTr  and DICT,” Quimbo said, referring to the Department of Transportation and the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

“So far ‘di pa sila pumupunta sa atin so aabangan natin ang kanilang paliwanag or catch-up plan. Kasi… this is a new admin, so namana lang nila ang mga existing na excesses kung meron man,” she said.

(So far they haven’t come to us so we will wait for their explanation or catch-up plan. Because… since this is a new administration, they just inherited existing excesses if there are.)

Among the agencies that have briefed the Committee on Appropriations are the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Tourism, and the Office of the President.

Quimbo echoed Committee on Appropriations chairperson Elizaldy Co’s earlier remark that most of the agencies requested higher budgets than what the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submitted under the National Expenditure Program (NEP). 

“Ang hirap dahil lahat talaga. Halos lahat humingi ng [increase],” she said.

(It’s difficult because almost all are asking for budget increase.)

Co said that the Constitution prohibits the changing of the P5.268-trillion budget ceiling set by the DBM.

Quimbo said that the first chance for budget increase of agencies to be accommodated is during the plenary sessions in the House of Representatives, wherein lawmakers can propose for amendments.

Lawmakers can also propose amendments on the approved versions of both the Senate and the House of the P5.268-trillion budget during the bicameral conference committee, wherein both chambers reconcile differences. — BM, GMA News