House realigns P52B from 2019 DPWH budget to other gov’t agencies

The House of Representatives, convening as Committee of the Whole, approved on Tuesday the realignment of around P52 billion from the proposed 2019 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to fund programs of other agencies.

The realignment was made as an amendment to House Bill 8169, or the proposed P3.757-trillion General Appropriations Act for 2019, as contained in Committee Report 854 prepared by the Committee on Appropriations.

LOOK: The P52-billion allocation in the proposed 2019 national budget was realigned to fund projects and programs under the DPWH, DepEd, DA, and DOH, and for SUCs and National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Funds. These are introduced as amendments to House Bill 8169. pic.twitter.com/essUUwZCUE

— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) September 18, 2018

In his speech during the convening of the Committee of the Whole, Majority Leader Rolando Andaya, who chairs the panel, pointed out that there are "unforeseen events" that prompted the alteration of the budget, such as the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong and "man-made developments."

He said, however, that the House will not stay away from the proposed budget of President Rodrigo Duterte under the National Expenditure Program for 2019.

"In the case of the budget before us, it will ratify and approve the specs as proposed by the originator. Walang kaltas, walang bawas. Kung titimbangin, walang kulang. Ang mangyayari pa nga ay palalakasin ang mga programa," Andaya said.

"But there is an amount, equivalent to less than 2 percent of the budget, a drop in the bucket, which we will move to other presidential programs. This will be done in a manner that is transparent, open and compliant with the laws of the land," he added.

Among the amendments made was an additional National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, amounting to P5 billion, for Typhoon Ompong rehabilitation, and a total of P6 billion for Health Facilities Enhancement Program and Health Human Resources Development under the Department of Health.

Apart from these, a total of P1.2 billion was allocated for capital outlay for State Universities and Colleges and complement free college education, and P3 billion for technical-vocational laboratories under the Department of Education, to "address the missing link" in the K-12 program.

Meanwhile, a total of P31 billion realigned to the DPWH for the construction of roads to decongest traffic in urban areas (P11 billion), roads to identified tourism areas (P10 billion), and roads to trade areas, economic zones, livelihood centers and markets (10 billion).

A total of P5 billion was also allocated for farm to market roads under the Department of Agriculture.

Following a vote of yays and nays, the Committee of the Whole approved the amendments to the bill.

Lump sums?

ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio, however, expressed concern on what he called "lump sums" in the realigned budget for the DPWH, which amounts to P31 billion.

"These are lump sums with no details. And so, based on previous experiences with the PDAF and the corruption related to the approval of such lump sums, I am concerned that no details are being provided. What are these projects? Where will they be implemented?" he said.

Andaya, in response, said the Committee on the Whole was only approving its report to be used as basis for the plenary interpellations.

"This is merely a committee report, and the details needed by the Hon. Tinio will be filled during the period of actual amendments," he said.

The House of Representatives convened as a Committee of the Whole upon motion of Andaya after a one-day delay in the start of the plenary deliberations on the proposed 2019 national budget.

Andaya announced that following the approval of the report of the Committee of the Whole with amendments, the plenary deliberations will begin on Wednesday at 10 a.m. — BM, GMA News