House bares P9.5-billion realignments in 2020 budget

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives bared on Monday that it had realigned P9.5 billion in the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020, which it has approved last Sept. 20.

READ: House swiftly OKs P4.1-T nat’l budget for 2020 after only a month of debates

In a press conference, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the amount was sourced from the P5.7-billion budget of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the supposed May 2020 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, which is set to be postponed, and P3.7 billion from the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

LOOK: House realignments on the 2020 budget, which the chamber approved last Sept. 20, 2019.

Cayetano maintains that the budget has “no pork, no parked funds, and no delays.” @inquirerdotnet pic.twitter.com/uqcqwL1q61

— Daphne Galvez (@daphnegalvez_) September 30, 2019

He said the biggest institutional amendment is the P3.5 billion additional budget for the Department of Agriculture, specifically for the purchase of local palay (unhusked rice). However, he said the fund could still be increased based on “informal talks” with senators.

The House also realigned P500 million for a Quick Response Fund, Cayetano said.

The Department of Education (DepEd) will get an additional P850 million  — of which P650 million for the improvement of the K-12 program and for model daycare centers across the country (P150 million).

The Department of Health (DOH) will also receive an additional budget of P200 million — P100 million each for the National Center for Mental Health and the Quick Response Fund.

The budget of the UP-Philippine General Hospital’s will also have an augmentation of P500 million for medical services.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will each get additional P1 billion for camp development funds.

The following departments will also get budget augmentations:

Department of Environment and Natural Resources: P500 million for its Natural Resources Conservation and Development

Department of Transportation: P274.95 million for the operating expenses of the Davao International Airport

Dangerous Drugs Board: P250 million for the maintenance and other operating expense of Community-based Rehabilitation Centers

Philippine Sports Commission: P500 million for the preparation and training of Filipino athletes for the 2020 Olympic Games and 10th ASEAN Para Games

Allocation to Local Government Units – MMDA: P200 million for special allowance for traffic personnel and field personnel and P300 million for the salary increase of 4,000 job order personnel

Budgetary support for GOCC: P500 million for sitio electrification

The House Speaker maintained that the 2020 budget that the lower chamber passed was without pork, parked funds, and delays.

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