House 'small group' makes P20B in amendments, including P5.5B more for COVID-19 vaccines

The House of Representatives' "small committee" has introduced P20 billion worth of "institutional amendments" to the P4.5-trillion General Appropriations Bill that the chamber approved last week, Albay Representative Joey Salceda said on Monday.

Salceda said the amendments included an additional P5.5 billion for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines, P4 billion for assistance for displaced workers, P2 billion for hospitals and health care institutions and P2 billion to buy C-130 planes.

In an interview with reporters, Salceda said House Bill 7727, or the chamber's version of the 2021 GAB, is now ready for submission to the Senate following the meeting of the small committee.

"[The] small group consensus [was] to approve only P20-billion institutional amendments and departmental errata. And no individual amendments," Salceda said.

The group agreed to consider individual amendments during the bicameral conference committee meeting on the 2021 national budget, Salceda said.

According to Salceda, the P20-billion worth on institutional amendments is broken down as follows:

• P500 million for energy governance, of which P400 million is for the Philippine National Oil Company for the development of renewable energy and P100 million for the Energy Regulatory Commission to improve and modernize its system
• P2 billion for the Department of Health's (DOH) Health Facilities Enhancement Program to complete the construction of hospitals and to prioritize equipment for healthcare institutions
• P4 billion for the Department of Labor and Employment to aid displaced workers
• P2 billion for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to acquire C-130 planes
• P1.7 billion for the Department of Education to provide the Internet needs for online classes
• P2 billion for the Department of the Interior and Local Government for mobility assets for the Philippine National Police

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• P300 million for the DOH for mental health programs
• P5.5 billion for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines
• P2 billion for pandemic assistance to affected families

One source to fund these amendments could be the allocations intended for the Department of Transportation (DOTr) next year, Salceda said.

"My proposal is that usually, there's been virtually a 200% to 300% increase in the DOTr. From P30 billion to P110 billion. Tapos ang DOTr naman ang kanilang mga projects are foreign-funded so shinift lang namin sa unprogrammed," Salceda said.

"Halimbawa dumating yung mga makina galing Japan e ibinu-book lang naman yan so in other words, they can still continue their yung kanila projects because funds will be released. They will have funds upon what we call the notice of loan proceeds," he added.

Another possible source is the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund amounting to P20 billion, Salceda said, pointing out that the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 defines pandemic as a disaster.

He said the NDRRMF would only be touched for the purchase of vaccines if the initial P2.5 billion and the additional P5.5 billion would still be insufficient.

'Zero chance of reenactment'

Now that the small committee has finished deliberating on the amendments and that the House's version of the 2021 budget bill is ready for submission, Salceda said the probability of a reenacted budget becomes "zero," and the government will have the power to confront the socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also said this development would "restore the Philippines as a nation state to its trajectory of growth, maintain macroeconomic stability and make growth gains sustainable."

House Committee on Appropriations chair Eric Yap on Sunday said the House was looking to submit the House version of 2021 GAB to the Senate on October 28. -NB, GMA News