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Published 9:05 PM, November 28, 2016 ;Updated 9:05 PM, November 28,
2016
The proposed budget – which lawmakers said was crafted to deliver better
social services – got 20 affirmative votes, no negative vote, and no
abstention.
The P3.35-trillion budget approved by both the Senate and the House
is 11.6% higher than the 2016 budget. It represents 21% of the
projected gross domestic product next year.
Agriculture, education, as well as peace and order are among the budget
priorities of the Duterte administration. The Office of the President, and the
education and public works departments are the top budget gainers.
(READ: What's in the proposed 2017 national budget?)
Priorities
Legarda said P1.42 trillion – around 40% of the budget – has been
allocated for social services.
The Senate also approved an additional P50 million in the capital outlay
of all state universities and colleges. This puts at P63.62 billion the
total allocations for SUCs.
The other agencies with the biggest allocations are the Department of the
Interior and Local Government, with P147.58 billion; the Department
of National Defense , P135.04 billion; and the Department of Social
Welfare and Development, P128.31 billion.
Legarda said P78.2 billion has been allocated to the Conditional Cash
Transfer (CCT) Program, which targets 4.4 million eligible
beneficiaries in 2017.
Social pension for indigent senior citizens has been provided for in next
year’s budget.
The Philippine National Police will get P111.26 billion to allow it to hire
more personnel and procure firearms and equipment in the war on drugs
and criminality.
The construction of rehabilitation centers for drug dependents will also get
“ample budgetary support,” the Senate press release said.
The Senate has also proposed P388 million for the Bureau of Jail
Management and Penology, and P163 million for the Bureau of
Corrections, to increase the daily subsistence allowance of inmates.
The Senate version of the proposed 2017 national budget sets a one-year
timeframe for the utilization of allocations – to discourage underspending,
which marked the previous administration’s budget record.
“Our budget is our investment for the future. It is supposed to construct new
mass transport systems, new airports, road systems, and schools. They
are supposed to fund services for the sick and poor; provide electricity to
our people; and build irrigation for our farmers,” said Legarda.
“Underspending simply means missed opportunities. We wish to encourage
that we all work together and provide the people what is due them,” the
chairperson of the Senate finance committee said.
The one-year timeframe in the budget, she said, should “instill a sense of
urgency among government agencies in utilizing their budget to the last
peso.” – Rappler.com