Solon sees lower gov’t targets due to cash-based budget

Nograles said the shift to cash-based budget would affect many government programs, particularly its “Build, Build, Build” thrust. (File photo: Karlo Nograles/Facebook)

MANILA — House appropriations committee chairman Karlo Nograles on Monday said the proposed targets of several government programs for next year have been reduced drastically due to the new cash-based budgeting system.

In a press conference, Nograles said the shift to cash-based budget would affect many government programs, particularly its “Build, Build, Build” thrust.

“Lumalabas po kasi na mas kaunti ang iskolar na mapapaaral, mas kaunti ang klasrum at health centers na mapapatayo, mas kaunti ang mga kalsada at tulay na mapapagawa, mas kaunti ang mga sitio na mapapailawan, at marami pang ibang mas kaunti (It turns out that fewer scholars would receive free tuition, fewer classrooms and health centers would be built, fewer roads and bridges would be established, fewer sitios would be electrified, among others),” Nograles said.

“Hindi po tugma sa programa ng Pangulong Duterte na Build, Build, Build ang nangyaring slash, slash, slash. Hindi po ito People’s budget;ito po ay KKK budget–kaunti, kulang, at kapos (The slash, slash, slash is not in line with President (Rodrigo) Duterte’s program of Build, Build Build. This is not a People’s budget; this is a KKK budget—meager, scanty, and sparse),” he added.

Nograles said the Department of Public Works and Highways’ proposed target of flood mitigation structures and drainage systems in 2019 is down by 125. This year’s target is higher at 1,936 compared to next year’s target of 1,811.

He said the 2018 target of the Department of Education for new classroom constructions under obligation-based budgeting is at 47,000, while the 2019 target is only 4,110 under cash-based budgeting.

The 2018 target of 39 million textbooks dropped to only 8.9 million for next year.

Meanwhile, the 2019 target for new teaching positions is at 10,000 compared to this year’s target of 81,100.

For the Department of Energy, Nograles said the target number of sitios completed and energized for this year is at 1,817, while the target for next year is at 775.

Nograles also noted that the enhancement of health facilities received a zero allocation for 2019, which violates the Sin Tax Law.

The law provides that 20 percent of incremental revenues from the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products “shall be allocated nationwide, based on political and district subdivisions, for medical assistance and health enhancement facilities program, the annual requirements of which shall be determined by the Department of Health (DOH).”

“The DOH submitted to the DBM their proposal for 2019 PHP25.375 billion for HFEP. None of it was approved by the DBM… Therefore that is a violation of Republic Act 10351,” Nograles said.

Nograles, however, assured that there would be no reenacted budget for next year despite the “temporary suspension” of budget hearings.

“Hindi po mangyayari ito habang ako ang Chairman ng Committee on Appropriations…May oras pa para ayusin ang proposed 2019 budget, para ibalik ito sa obligation-based budget (This (reenactment) won’t happen as long as I am the Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations… There is still time to fix the proposed 2019 budget and revert it to an obligation-based budget),” he added.

House budget deliberations has been temporarily suspended amid the clamor of congressmen to bring back obligation-based budgeting.