Senate body OKs P14.6-B extra budget for disaster rehab works
Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – The Senate committee on finance committee on Thursday approved a P14.6-billion supplemental budget for 2013 for rehabilitation, repair, and construction works and activities in areas hit by recent calamities such as Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”
Senate President Franklin Drilon himself moved for the approval of Senate Bill 1938, which he filed.
In his bill, Drilon proposed for a P14.5-billion supplemental budget, but Deputy National Treasurer Christine Sanchez informed the committee that the available fund of the office was P14.6 billion.
The additional appropriation, under the bill, will be sourced from this year’s unspent Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) known as “pork barrel” funds of lawmakers.
The fund was recently declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Present at the hearing of the committee being headed by Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero were Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Undersecretary Eduardo del Rosario, administrator of the Office of Civil Defense and other officials from the Department of National Defense National Treasury, Department of Budget and Management and Department of Social Welfare and Development.
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