Funds for infrastructure projects not from congressional insertions — Palace

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma

MANILA — Not a single centavo will come from congressional insertions or pork barrel funds when the government carries out recently approved big-ticket infrastructure projects, the Palace said Tuesday.

The present government has not funded projects through congressional insertions, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.

said, adding that even former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration, during its last year, had disallowed the funding of projects through insertions.

“Doon naman sa Aquino administration, totally abolished ‘yung concept of insertion dahil nagkasundo ang ehekutibo at lehislatura na kung ano lamang ang budget na iniharap ng executive as the National Expenditure Program, ‘yun lamang ang pwedeng repasuhin o pag-aralan ng Kamara at ng Senado,” he said during a press briefing

The government has also ceased funding projects through the lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) after the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional, Coloma said, noting that the PDAF has been completely scrapped from the 2014 budget.

Last week, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board chaired by President Aquino approved nine major projects that will improve the country’s water and irrigation system, transportation and health care.

These projects will be carried out through various funding schemes, among them public-private partnership (PPP) and private sector investments.