DBM yet to release P1B budget for youth centers

MANILA, Philippines — The proposed budget of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC ) for 2020 was slashed by P1 billion.

This was revealed during Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate finance subcommittee on the budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and its attached agencies, including JJWC.

From P1.093 billion this year, JJWC Executive Director Tricia Clare Oco said their budget was reduced to only P95.2 million in 2020.

“The reason why we have the decrease is because this year through a legislative initiative, binigyan po kami ng (we were given) P1 billion and this was done in anticipation of the amendment of RA (Republic Act) 9344 particularly to lower the age of criminal responsibility and also to re-nationalize the LGU function to fund, construct, and operate the Bahay Pag-asa dahil ilalagay na po ‘yun sa (because it will be placed in the) national agency,” Oco told the committee.

“However, due to supervening events po, hindi natuloy ‘yung amendment (the amendment didn’t go through) but we still have the P1 billion,” she said.

Of the P1 billion allocation, P700 million was allotted for the construction of the reform centers, P100 million for fixture and furniture while the remaining P200 million would be for local government units’ (LGUs) operations.

READ: Pangilinan wary of P1 B budget for Bahay Pag – asa

Oco later clarified that the fund remains with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) until now.

 “Nakalagay po siya sa GAA (General Appropriations Act) na meron kaming P1 billion pero hindi pa po nire-relase sa amin ng DBM (It was in our GAA but the DBM has not yet released the P1 billion to us),” she pointed out .

She said the fund has not been released because they have not requested for it yet.

“’Yung requirement po kasi ng DBM, bago namin ‘yun makuha at mabigay sa DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), kelangan ma-liquidate na po ng mga LGUs na binigyan namin dati ng pera,” Oco explained.

(Before we can get it and give to the DPWH, the requirement of the DBM is that LGUs should liquidate first the money we previously gave them).

In 2016, Oco said their office downloaded P40 million for the construction of eight buildings of Bahay Pag-asa.

She said the LGUs have yet to liquidate the said amount. /je