Solon questions P10 billion NTF-ELCAC allocation sans final list of barangay projects

Gabriela party-list lawmaker Arlene Brosas on Friday questioned the P10 billion allocation for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) under the proposed 2023 national budget amid the yet-to-be-completed list of barangay-level projects that it will fund.

Brosas made the comments on the first day of the budget deliberations before the House Appropriations panel after Secretary Amenah Pangandaman of the Department of Budget and Management said not all barangays have submitted their proposed programs which will be funded by the P10 billion budget for NTF-ELCAC's barangay development projects (BDP).

"It (list of BDP) is not yet complete. Some barangays have not yet submitted [their proposed projects]," Pangandaman said.

Brosas asked, "It is not yet complete?"

DBM Undersecretary Tina Canda answered that it takes a while for the barangays to submit their proposals since project proposals are highly technical.

"Madam chair, these projects are being implemented by barangays. We do not expect them to have a technical knowledge or to have the same situation as a municipality. That is the reason why certain barangays, especially in far flung areas, will not be able to submit this list because it would require technical specifications," Canda said.

"However, there are barangays which submitted and we have already released a substantial amount of the NTF-ELCAC [funds]," Canda added.

Brosas asked for the basis of the P10 billion allocation despite the absence of details on the NTF-ELCAC projects under the Barangay Development Program.

Canda said that the P10 billion was already a reduction of the government's initial proposal of NTF-ELCAC allocating P20 million per communist-free barangay under the task force's BDP.

"The P10 billion is an installment in effect. Last year, we provided P20 million per barangay; we proposed P20 million for [communist]-cleared barangays of around 1,400. But as a result of the iterations made by Congress, this was reduced to P4 million per barangay," Canda said.

"The P10 billion we proposed [for 2023] will in effect, just even it out, but it will not completely provide the P20 million per barangay that was initially estimated as the amount to be required to keep these barangays at par with other barangays which are not yet cleared [of insurgency]," Canda added.

Brosas asked, "Why do we allow the barangay to implement this kung hindi pala nila kaya and now we are doing it again by putting it again here in NTF-ELCAC? I do not understand, Madam Chair."

Brosas then asked for the list of barangays that already submitted projects for NTF-ELCAC funding. The DBM said they would do so. — DVM, GMA News