Palace: 2015 proposed national budget aims to benefit the poor

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MANILA — The Palace said on Sunday that the proposed 2015 national budget aims to lift the million of Filipinos out of poverty.

“Ang pambansang budget para sa 2015 ay may temang “kaunlaran para sa lahat” sapagkat naglalayon itong isulong ang pag-angat at pag-asenso ng milyon-milyong Pilipinong nasa laylayan ng lipunan. Matatamo ito sa pamamagitan ng wastong paggugol ng pondo ng bayan,” said Presidential Communication Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr.

, in a press briefing over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

President Benigno Aquino III reported during the State of the Nation Address that based on the annual poverty indicator of the National Economic and Development Authority there are now 2.5 million Filipinos out of poverty.

Moveover, 37.2 percent or the bulk of the P2.6 trillion proposed national budget is dedicated for the social services of the government, which is for the education and health of the citizens.

Coloma said the Aquino administration has instituted reforms since 2010, like the early submission of the proposed National Expenditure Program to ensure that the General Appropriation Act (GAA) is passed before the year ends.

“Malayong-malayo ito doon sa nakaraan na kung saan ay hindi naipapasa ang budget at puro reenacted budget ang ginamit na batayang batas sa paggastos ng pondo ng bayan,” Coloma explained.

The Communications Secretary noted the comment of the civil society advocacy group—Movement for Good Governance—which is composed of leaders in the academe, when they said: “the programs of the administration in improving governance are sincerely acknowledged. The government proved its intent to pursue ‘tuwid na daan’ through the institution of reforms in budgeting such as zero-based management, the results-based performance management system, and providing the public with broad access to information, especially on how the budget has been disbursed.”

“Malinaw na ang pambansang budget para sa 2015, katulad ng mga sinundan nito sa ilalim ng administrasyong Aquino, ay tumatalima sa mga prinsipyo ng matuwid na daan,” Coloma said.

“Para sa mga nag-iisip na ito ay gagamitin sa pamumulitika, tunghayan na lang po ang kongkretong record. Aksyon, hindi salita, ang pinakamabuting pamantayan,” he added.