Bill pushing for gov’t rightsizing gets House nod on third reading
MANILA, Philippines — A proposal seeking to rightsize government functions — or reduce and remove offices with redundant functions — has been approved by the House of Representatives on the third and final reading.
During the House’s session on Tuesday, 292 lawmakers voted in favor of House Bill (HB) No. 7240, or a consolidated version of all the proposals seeking to rightsize the national government.
Three lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc voted against the bill, while none abstained.
If HB No. 7240 is enacted, a Committee on Rightsizing the Executive Branch would be created which will be in charge of assessing which government functions can be combined, with the end goal of developing a rightsized organizational structure for the executive.
READ: ‘Rightsizing’: Buzzword re-emerges under Bongbong Marcos
While there has been a clamor to rightsize the government to save funds as several offices with similar functions would be combined, Makabayan solons are wary that the move would only lead to government employees losing their jobs.
“Mr. Speaker, tipid na tipid ang gobyernong ito ‘pag dating sa sahod na ibibigay sa mga manggagawa at kawani ng gobyerno, samantalang nais laanan ng P9.5 billion ang mga delegado na bubuo sa constitutional convention, at makakatanggap ng per diem na P10,000 sa kada araw ng actual attendance,” Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said in her speech explaining her vote.
(Mr. Speaker, the government is being thrifty in providing proper salaries to workers and employees of the government, but it also wants to give P9.5 billion to the delegates of the proposed constitutional convention, who will receive a P10,000 per diem every day of actual attendance.)
“Sa panahon na nangangailangan ng trabaho ang mamamayang Pilipino, sabik na sabik ang gobyerno na isabatas ang National Government Rightsizing Act na magdudulot ng kawalan ng trabaho sa milyong manggagawa sa pamahalaan,” she added.
(In a time when people need actual jobs, the government is yearning to enact the National Government Rightsizing Act which would cause the loss of jobs for millions of government employees.)
Government officials including Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman however assured the public last July 2022 — just as the Executive branch was proposing the measure — that rightsizing the government does not necessarily mean reducing the government’s workforce, adding that employees may be placed in priority sectors instead.
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