HOW can we call the preparation of the national budget “execution-ready” when it allows appropriations for “blank” items, or those lacking key details?
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson posed this question Thursday to the Department of Budget and Management in response to the statement of DBM Secretary Kim Robert de Leon that the 2027 budget is execution-ready.
“Interestingly, sabi ninyo Sec, ang budget preparation is execution-ready. May program of work, etc. Pero may nakita kaming P180M each (region), lump sum ito, intended for all 17 regions, evacuation centers. Wala man lang naka-specify saang lugar sa region… walang specifics. Much as we would like to believe you iba naman ang sinasabi sa National Expenditure Program (Interestingly, Sec, you said the budget preparation is execution ready, meaning with a program of work. But we saw lump sum allocations of P180M each for all 17 regions, for evacuation centers. But there were no specifics. Much as we would like to believe you, the NEP says otherwise),” Lacson told de Leon at the Development Budget Coordinating Council briefing.
“And mind you it’s not only for 2027. Nakakita din kami ng P100M each for 2026, ganyan din po. Of course sa DPWH namin tatanungin yan. Pero since this is also part of policy, bakit ninyo pinayagan sa DBCC na magkaroon ng budget na ang item e halos blangko? May amount, walang specs (And mind you, this is not just for the 2027 NEP. We also saw P100-million lump sums each for all 17 regions. We will ask the DPWH about this too but since this is part of policy, why did the DBCC allow the budget to fund items that are ‘blank,’ meaning there are amounts but no details)?” he added.
De Leon explained that the agencies would still be required to submit the final details to the DBM before the allocations could be implemented, adding the Office of Civil Defense still has to finalize the list.
Still, Lacson pointed out that such details should have been submitted during the budget preparation stage.
Also, he noted that while the OCD estimates the cost of each evacuation center at P75 million, the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), one of the private sector groups that worked on Yolanda rehabilitation, along with BPI, constructed an evacuation center in Ibaan, Batangas amounting to P12.7 million.
The PDRF was among the private sector organizations that Lacson worked with during his stint as Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery, where he coordinated efforts to help those affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
“Ilang evacuation center following this model ang mapapagawa ng P3.06 billion? (Ang) estimate ng OCD, P75 million per evacuation center. Ang layo sa P12.77 million. Even inputting the inflation, sobra pa rin ang P75 million per evacuation center (How many evacuation centers following the 2013-2014 model can be built with P3.06 billion? The OCD estimates each evacuation center costs P75M, this is quite far from P12.77M. Even accounting for inflation, P75M per evacuation center is quite high),” Lacson said.
metrosundaily
