Senator Loren Legarda allayed fears over the halting of construction of classrooms and health centers because of cuts in the proposed 2019 budget.
Legarda explained at the Meet Inquirer Multimedia forum on Thursday that the budget allocation for classrooms and health centers was reduced only because there was still unspent budget from previous years.
“It will be reinstalled. It is not accurate to say that there is no budget for classrooms. Except that it was reduced. There will be classrooms that will be constructed. Classrooms are being built now but it is one of the slow-moving budget allocations,” Legarda said.
Sen. Loren Legarda. Photo by RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net
“In fact, the classrooms being built now are from the 2017 budget. The 2018 allocation in the school-building program is not being utilized so it makes sense that why would you allocate something when there’s still funds?”
Legarda assured that there will be a budget for classrooms in 2019 and that the Senate will put capital outlay for health centers as it is also one of the slow-moving budget allocations.
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The House of Representatives on Wednesday night approved on second reading the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019. /je
READ: House approves proposed 2019 budget on second reading