Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said Friday some P16 billion in projects under the National Task Force for Ending the Communist Local Armed Conflict had an approach similar to Bottom-Up Budgeting, and should be kept “perhaps with some adjustment towards areas hard-hit by recent natural calamities.”
Salceda, the chairman of the House ways and means committee, said the label “can mislead one into thinking that this is a direct national security budget when the items are actually for countryside development.
“The idea is that when you build roads in the countryside, you are creating opportunities for economic development and minimizing the incentives for joining armed conflict.
“Of course, I appreciate the concern for the Bicol region. Indeed, there should be some space for realigning some non-urgent projects towards Albay, Catanduanes and other hard-hit areas. After all, if these provinces can recover faster and the infrastructure in the far-flung areas of these provinces is tended to, the rationale for insurgency is drastically reduced.
“I’ll bring the matter of adjustment up to the bicameral conference committee. In general, the idea of spending on programs towards economic development in the countryside is the most effective way to rid the armed conflict of breathing space, because it feeds on resentment. I support those countryside development programs.”
“I appreciate the framework that sees armed conflict as ultimately rooted in poverty and underdevelopment. So, the countryside development programs under the task force is an acknowledgment that some solutions are not military in nature.”
According to Salceda, the countryside budget items will help mitigate the “Rolly” damage.
Salceda estimates the economic toll of Typhoon Rolly to be at least P21 billion, adding that some of the countryside development projects under the task force can mitigate the damage.
“We’re looking at P6 billion in infrastructure damage, P3 billion in damage to agriculture and at least P12 billion in damage to private property. This does not count the opportunity costs, of course, as Bicol will suffer from economic slowdown for a while on top of our COVID-19 problems. So, budgetary adjustments toward the hard-hit areas are welcome,” Salceda said.
“We can have a conversation on what items under countryside development projects of the task force can be redirected and/or optimized to help this recovery. That would be a productive conversation.”
“These non-military interventions are important, and they speed up government assistance to the poorest reaches of the country. I support these programs, and I am open to conversations on adjusting them,” he added.