Gov’t to boost social services in the next budget

Senate President Franklin Drilon. Photo courtesy of Drilon’s official Facebook page.

MANILA – Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Thursday that the country’s social services sector is receiving a boost in the national budget next year.

The senator added that it is possible because the government is planning to spend as much as P967.9 billion for poverty-alleviation programs.

The figure, which takes 37 percent of the proposed P2.

606-trillion national budget, next year is 15 percent more than the P841.8 billion allotted for this year.

Drilon also added that programs which focus on helping the poor will be the highlight of the administration’s remaining years.

“The next year’s spending program reflects the priorities in the remaining years of the Aquino administration which are to alleviate poverty, provide efficient healthcare and improve the quality of education in the country,” said Drilon.

The senator also mentioned that the Department of Education will be getting a large chunk of the budget with P365.

1 billion, 17.9 percent higher than this year’s P309.5 billion.

“As part of the effort to address classrooms shortage, the government will construct 31,728 new classrooms in 2015 and repair 9,500 dilapidated ones, including those damaged by past calamities including super typhoon ‘Yolanda,'” he said. An additional 13,586 water and sanitation facilities will also be constructed next year.

The health department will also get P102 billoin in funding from its current budget of P90.8 billion.

“For 2015, more money will go to public hospitals and clinics around the country. For instance, the government will allot P13.1 billion for the upgrading of 1,242 barangay health stations, 587 health centers from remote barangays, 128 hospitals in different provinces, 19 DOH-managed hospitals, and 11 treatment and rehabilitation centers,” Drilon said.