MANILA, Philippines – Kinalos ng Kamara nitong Biyernes, Oktubre 10 ang P35 bilyong halaga para sa pagpopondo ng Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure Program (SAGIP) sa ilalim ng unprogrammed fund.
Ito ay matapos na ibasura ng plenaryo ang mosyon ni Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno na alisin ang kabuuan ng P249 bilyong unprogrammed appropriations sa period of amendments para sa proposed P6.793 trillion budget sa 2026.
Ang mga items sa ilalim ng unprogrammed fund ay popondohan lamang kung magkaroon ng sobrang revenue collection o pondo mula sa foreign loans o grants.
Ayon kay House appropriations panel chairperson at Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing, sapat na ang pag-aalis ng P35 bilyong pondo bilang additional funding para sa government infrastructure program dahil ang bagong unprogrammed appropriations ay magbibigay lamang ng suporta sa counterpart funding ng pamahalaan sa infrastructure programs sa ilalim ng foreign-assisted projects, maging ang social services programs.
“Infrastructure projects would no longer be part of the authorized uses for unprogrammed appropriations, save for infrastructure projects under foreign-assisted projects and for strengthening assistance for social programs, which would be P45 billion in total,” ani Suansing.
“Aside from foreign assisted program, all of those relate to programs under the Department of Agriculture such as subsidies to farmers, rice subsidies…under the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) as an augmentation for the 4Ps (conditional cash transfer program for the poorest of the poor), given that there is an expected shortfall in the funding for 4Ps due to the reduction [of its budget] from 2025,” dagdag pa niya.
Aniya, hindi pwedeng alisin ang Philippine government counterpart para sa foreign-assisted projects mula sa unprogrammed appropriations dahil maaaring makasuhan ang gobyerno ng breach of contract.
“In terms of the treatment for the infrastructure projects under foreign-assisted projects, as much as we would like to put all of them as separate line items under programmed appropriations, these projects did not make it to the deadline during the budget preparation,” sinabi ni Suansing.
“For foreign-assisted projects to be included as programmed appropriations, it would require two things: a finalized contract with a multilateral or bilateral partner providing the foreign assistance,” dagdag ng mambabatas.
“And second, NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) board approval. These projects are currently under unprogrammed appropriations since these did not make it to the deadline for these requirements,” pagpapatuloy pa niya.
“And given that we know for a fact that these projects will start in the year 2026, we need to fund them [under unprogrammed funds] because otherwise we will be reneging on our international commitments.”
“So for that reason, Madam Chair, as much as we would also like to recognize the point of our distinguished colleague, the Honorable Chel Diokno, to remove unprogrammed appropriations in toto.”
Sa naunang panayam, sinabi ni House Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno na ang pag-aalis sa buong unprogrammed appropriations sa ilalim ng proposed P6.793 trillion budget para sa 2026 ay isang inefficient way ng budgeting.
“Ngayon, dun sa unprogrammed na sinasabi nilang baka gamitin sa walang kwenta, kailangan lagi may unprogrammed sa budget kasi hindi naman fixed yung income ng gobyerno. Depende sa [revenue] collection, income from different sources,” ani Puno.
“Kung susundin mo lang yung patakaran sa paano [pwede] gamitin ‘yung unprogrammed, hindi magkakaproblema eh. Pag hindi mo dinagyan ng unprogrammed na ganyan, pag may additional collections, wala kang pwedeng paglagyan nun. So ilalagay mo yun sa savings. Sa government budgeting, hindi efficient yung ganun. Kasi kailangan ang gobyerno ay kumikita, at kailangan magastos iyon. Otherwise, the economy will slow down,” dagdag pa niya. RNT/JGC
