Congress will address budget cuts, gaps in 2023 budget, says House leader

House Appropriations panel senior vice chairperson Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo said Tuesday that Congress will address budget cuts and lack of funds for crucial government  programs under the proposed P5.268 trillion budget for 2023.

Quimbo was responding to concerns raised by sectors, including her colleagues from the Makabayan bloc, over the P2.5 billion budget cut on state-run University of the Philippines system and decreasing the Philippine General Hospital (PGH)'s budget by P893 million amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel also argued that the proposed 2023 budget only earmarked P852.8 billion for the education sector which is below the United Nations recommendation of 6% of the gross domestic product.

"Historically, amendments are made by lawmakers on PGH's budget. It happens almost every year. There is no need to be very concerned at this point kasi magagawan pa ng paraan, kaya tayo may budget process, to find out what PGH programs did not make it to the 2023 proposed budget," Quimbo said in a press conference.

"The members of the House will find ways given that PGH is a very good service hospital of high quality and you get value for your money. At the same time, it is also a teaching hospital. We will also hear what UP president Danny Concepcion has to say," she added.

Likewise, Quimbo said the P25 billion funding requirement  for the P500 hike on the monthly social pension of indigent senior citizens will also be funded under the proposed 2023 budget.

"It lapsed into law last July 30, and DBM is already printing the budget book at that time that is why it wasn't included. Pero siyempre, ito naman ang kailangan gawan ng paraan dahil inaasahan ito ng ating mga lola't lolo," she added.

(We need to find a way to fund this since the seniors are expecting to receive it.)

"The Constitution provides for a budget ceiling but what is important is maghahanap tayo ng puwede bawasan, abangan na lang sa next five to six weeks. We will look at the utilization rates of agencies, and I don't want to preempt them ahead of their proposed budget presentation," she further said.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, for his part, said the government's dividend income from government-owned or-controlled corporations (GOCCs) can fund the P25 billion needed to double the pension of indigent senior citizens as required by the new law.

“In 2021 alone, GOCCs remitted a combined P57.55 billion in cash dividends to state coffers. The money can be used to bankroll the pension increase," he pointed out.

“Their current P500 monthly subsidy has been reduced into a pittance by rampant inflation. If the government does not provide money for the pension increase, the incidence of hunger could worsen among the elderly who do not have any means of financial support,” he added.

Indigent seniors refer to Filipinos aged 60 years old and above who do not receive any old-age pension from existing retirement benefit systems, have no regular source of income, and do not receive any aid from relatives.

Last week, Pimentel asked Malacañang to include in the proposed 2023 national budget the extra P25 billion needed for the Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens.

Under Republic Act No. 7656, GOCCs are mandated to declare as dividends and remit to the treasury at least 50% of their annual net profits.

Meanwhile, Quimbo said the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) should consider supporting the bill allowing student recipients of voucher assistance to use it in a school of their choice, including private schools.

"CHED is saying it is hard to define a poor and deserving student, but this bill cures the problem of an uneven playing field. As it is, there is unfair competition between public and private higher educational institutions," Quimbo, who used to be a professor at the UP Diliman, said.

"Why? In public, libre lahat [ng bayarin], zero. In private, it would be impossible that the price is zero. Hindi patas ang labanan. Dahil hindi patas, nawawala ang competition, hindi gumaganda over time ang quality ng education natin," she added.

(In public schools, you spend zero. That is impossible in a private schools. That is why there is unfair competition. Because of uneven playing field, competition fizzles out, the quality of our education stagnates.)

CHED, Quimbo said, should open its mind to the bill allowing the student to use the voucher whether in a public or private school since it even simplifies the criteria on who deserve to get the voucher assistance from the government.

"When you say deserving, it is simple: you qualified to enter the school of your choice at mahirap ka (and you are poor). By allowing the student to have a choice, tataas ang quality ng ating mga eskwelahan (we will raise the quality of our schools)," she said.—AOL, GMA News