DBM bullish on Congress’ passage of rightsizing bill

FILE: Empty session hall of the House of Representatives. (Photo By Gerald Tejada/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0)

MANILA – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Wednesday expressed optimism that Congress will act on the Marcos administration’s proposal to right-size the bureaucracy.

This, as Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman confirmed that she already furnished the Senate and the House of Representatives a copy of the rightsizing plan drafted by the DBM.

Pangandaman said she would be “more than happy” to explain before the lawmakers the details of the current administration’s plan to right-size government agencies, once the deliberations begin.

“I think kapag na-refer na po ito sa (I think, once it has been referred to the) proper committee, we will be more than happy to be present during their committee hearings and deliberations,” she said.

She issued the statement, as she noted that several rightsizing bills have already been filed at the Senate and the House of Representatives.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., in his first State of the Nation Address delivered on July 25, urged Congress to support his administration’s priority legislative measures, including the rightsizing bill.

Under the DBM’s rightsizing plan, the Marcos administration will determine which among the 187 government agencies with about two million personnel may be streamlined through merging, restructuring, or abolition.

The proposed rightsizing, which covers the government-owned and -controlled corporations, aims to make the government “more agile and responsive,” Pangandaman earlier said.

The proposal will help the government save a significant amount of the budget that may be used to fund priority projects in various sectors such as health and agriculture.

The rightsizing plan, however, excludes teaching and teaching-related positions, medical and allied medical positions or those in the health sector, and the military and other uniformed personnel.

Pangandaman said affected personnel may apply to positions that will be created as an effect of the rightsizing.

The government will also provide a retooling program to allow personnel to apply for vacant positions.

Affected personnel who opt to retire will get appropriate retirement benefits.