Will Pnoy continue the pork barrel?

Tomorrow is the fourth Monday of July. According to Article 6 of the 1987 Constitution it’s the date of  the regular opening of Congress.  Tomorrow the President will deliver  his State of the Nation Address. People  are expecting much from the report card of the president.  the education  sector is hoping President Aquino announces  a proposal for a substantial increase in the budget of the education department.

The state colleges and universities will welcome this development as it will provide necessary finances for  these institutions to  provide  better services to their students. The budget increase would help in  the full implementation of the  K+ 12  reform program of the Pnoy administration.

Based on the explanation of Fr. Dionisio Miranda, president of the University of San Carlos,  I am supporting the K+12  because it puts new focus on  technical and vocational education that is in demand by    industrial sectors.  A college education  is not for everyone, only  those who  qualify in the entrance examinations provided. The good thing is that the  college and university  are now  venues for specialization of education.

Many minor subjects will be downloaded to junior and senior high school.  Many have complained that the additional two years is an added  burden for parents but Fr. Miranda explained that once the student graduates from senior high, he or she  is qualified to work. A paradigm shift is needed for  parents who want their children to take up courses that are not in demand by industries.  They have to  accept the fact that what is in demand is vocational and technical education graduates.

Another issue that the people are expecting President Aquino to take up is the  pork barrel  fund of legislators after the scandal over the misuse of  P10 billion  pork barrels of some  senators and congressmen.

I don’t expect the President to abolish the pork barrel system but I expect more stringent regulation for its use by  members of Congress. This is not the first time controversy surrounds the use of the pork barrel, which was the subject of debates over whether it should be abolished.

I remember my principal, then  Senator Alberto G. Romulo, who said the pork barrel was an equalizer especially for far-flung areas that failed to get the attention of the president in availing of government projects.

Congressmen who use their pork barrel allotment properly are able to answer the needs of constituents of these areas. But I bet once the pork barrel is abolished, no one will run for a seat in Congress.

Apparently the pork barrel – P70 million worth of projects for a member of the House of Representatives and P200 million for each senator –  is the main attraction for many candidates.  But they will, of course, say  they are running for office because they want to serve the people.

I challenge the people to closely monitor how the pork barrel is spent by their district congressman and each senator.  As the saying goes,  the people get  the kind of government  officials that they deserve.

I hope the people now assert their rights and demand  good governance and shun  graft and corruption.

In Cebu, the latest scandal involving the looting of sacks of smuggled rice held in custody  by the Bureau of Customs triggered an investigation ordered by deputy commissioner Danilo Lim. I think this office is a hopeless case and so difficult to reform.