President Rodrigo Duterte gave priority to education and health under the P4.506 trillion national budget for 2021 recently submitted to Congress.
The government allows the Department of Education, which will get the biggest budget at P606.5 billion, for the adoption of flexible and blended learning.
In his message to Congress, Duterte said the proposed 2021 budget was also aimed at sustaining government efforts towards effectively responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The President said the budget would focus on the government’s spending on improving the country’s healthcare systems, ensuring food security, increasing investments in public and digital infrastructure, and helping communities cope and prevail in these trying times.
The education department will get P606.5 billion, followed by the Commission on Higher Education with P50.9 billion, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority with P13.7 billion.
Under the proposed 2021 budget, Duterte said the government’s priorities for the education had been “reshaped — even reset“ to allow the adoption of flexible and blended learning by expanding and institutionalizing flexible and multimodal learning and teaching options with P15.2 billion; and funding the expansion of DepEd’s Computerization Program with P9 billion.
He said a total of P4.1 billion under the proposed national budget would be allocated to fast-track the implementation of the national ID system.
“The allocation will help the government “clean up” its registries of beneficiaries of its social protection programs such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps,” he said.
The President also said he saw “brighter days” ahead beyond the bleak times brought by the “virulent” onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic.
Aside from education, Duterte also recognized the destruction and hardship caused by the pandemic in the past few months but voiced optimism the resilient nation would “heal, recover, and win” against the health crisis.
“Despite the turbulence of a world health crisis, I stand steady, with the same confidence and certainty — but now of one who believes that beyond these bleak times are brighter days,” the President said.
“Indeed we have gone through a lot of these past months. but let me say this. We will prevail. Our people, gifted with faith, resilience, and creativity, will overcome this crisis. We will heal, and we will recover, and we will win,” he said.
“With your review and speedy approval of our proposed National Budget of P4.506 trillion for Fiscal Year 2021, we will get back on our journey, on the road again — moving forward, getting our ‘normal’ back, reclaiming our future,” Duterte said.
Duterte has also asked for a P8.23 billion budget for his office in 2021, that includes P4.4 billion for confidential and intelligence expenses.
The proposed budget allocation of the Office of the President is slightly lower than the P8.25 billion budget approved by Congress this year.
Based on the 2021 budget proposal, OP has requested for P2.25 billion for confidential funds and another P2.25 billion for intelligence funds. It is the same budget amount OP received for 2020.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte actually spent a portion of confidential funds for COVID-related programs as he assured that budget expenses would still be subject to audit.
It’s just called confidential but these funds can be used by the President when there is a need. He spent a lot of the confidential funds for COVID efforts, for soldiers who died, for those who died due to COVID),” he said.
Meanwhile, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has assured the public that the deliberations for the 2021 national budget will be very transparent and that all the members of the opposition will be given ample time to ask their questions to the agencies.
Cayetano said he would want the 2021 budget to be “a product of the whole Congress, the whole representation of the Filipino people, and not just of the administration.”
Last Tuesday, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado handed over to Cayetano the National Expenditure Program for 2021.
Calling on his colleagues for support, Cayetano said the House of Representatives targeted to finish the budget deliberations and approve the Government Appropriation Bill before the end of September so it could be sent to the Senate right away.
“So while we’re implementing Bayanihan 2, this… September, October, November, December, we will try to finish the budget before the end of September, a very ambitious schedule. Then we will send it right away to the Senate, because we hope that, for the first time, if I’m not mistaken, in history, Secretary Wendel, we can sign the budget maybe late November or mid-November as a sign of unity by our country,” Cayetano said, addressing Secretary Avisado.
He also cited five key infrastructure programs that should be prioritized, namely mass transportation, digital infrastructure, health-related facilities, tourism, and agriculture.
He noted, however, that the needs of the front-liners in the delivery of social and medical services will continue to be given adequate support amidst the current public health crisis.
Cayetano also issued a “fair warning” to the departments that have made it difficult for constituents in the past year, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown, and reiterated the President’s warning that this administration does not tolerate corruption and inefficiency in the performance of their duties and the use of government funds.
“If we find out that you’re offline, if we find out that your constituents cannot reach you, that things get delayed on your end, that your services do not reach the people even if you’re already online, and that you go on lockdown for an extended period, don’t expect a smooth budget hearing or a good budget next year,” Cayetano said.
He also underscored the importance of accountability of the departments and continuous vigilance among the lawmakers in ensuring that the funds are properly utilized.
“That’s where vigilance is needed. If the project is good, we will approve it even if there is an opportunity for corruption. We just have to be on guard so that the opportunity for corruption disappears,” he added.
In the Senate, Finance Committee chairperson Sen. Sonny Angara assured they would be thorough in their review of the proposed P4.506-trillion appropriation for the government’s operations as well as for recovery programs for the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That has always been the Senate way,” said Angara who noted they will not sacrifice scrutiny for speed.
“And I say this with confidence that we will meet the deadline of a well-crafted budget ready for the President’s signature long before the year ends,” he added.
As all funds to fight the pandemic will emanate from this spending bill, the senator said it should be a fighting budget, not a business-as-usual one.
According to Angara, the online hearings will not be a hindrance to a thorough review of the recommended budget of the different government agencies.
Recent Senate hearings have shown that distance had only made the questioning from senators more detailed. Zoom has allowed them to zoom in on the small details.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III received last Tuesday from DBM Secretary Wendel Avisado copies of the 2021 National Expenditure Program.
The 2021 NEP with the theme “Reset, Rebound, and Recover: Investing for Resiliency and Sustainability” was higher by 10 percent compared to this year’s P4.1-trillion national budget.
The DBM said of the proposed fund, P1.32 trillion was allotted for personnel services, bulk of which would supposedly be used to hire more health workers, implementation of salary increases for government workers, and increased pension of military and uniformed services.
Capital outlays worth P920.5 billion were also proposed for the government’s infrastructure programs.
