Real change coming
Duterte signs into law 13.35-trillion ‘People’s Budget’ for 2017
President Duterte yesterday signed into law the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2017, the first budget under his administration that aims to attain real change for Filipinos – change that can be felt by ordinary citizens.
Dubbed the People’s Budget, the 2017 GAA is so far the biggest annual budget assembled.
“A budget for real change, the 2017 People’s Budget represents the bold plans of the Duterte administration for the Philippines,” the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said. “With it, the government pledges to reach the poorest of the poor to create a significant difference in the daily life of ordinary citizens.”
“It embodies the pro-people,
pro-investment, pro-growth, and prodevelopment thrust of the government,” the DBM added.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman and Davao City 1st District Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles 2017 will be the year of full change under President Duterte’s administration with the signing of the national budget into law.
This GAA is the first full-fledged budget crafted under the administration of 71-year-old Duterte, who ran on a platform of sweeping “change.”
“With the approval of the first full budget of the Duterte administrator, we could expect to see a full bright new day ahead for all of us Filipinos.
“This pro-Filipino budget will truly bring us one step closer to achieving the President’s mantra of change. Now, we can say that greater change is coming in 2017,” Nograles stressed.
1544.1 B for DepEd The Department of Education (DepEd) received the highest allocation out of all executive departments – 1544.1 billion. This will hopefully allow the Department to provide and maintain basic education facilities, create teaching and non-teaching positions as well as develop and provide learning resources to more than 20 million Filipino students in the country.
Through the 158.72-billion allocation for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and the 118.7-billion allocation for the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), deserving Filipinos will be given access to tertiary education.
1128.3 B for DSWD The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), meanwhile, was granted a 1128.3-billion allocation. A significant portion of which is for the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program and monthly rice subsidy for impoverished households.
196.3 B for DOH The Department of Health was also given a sizeable budget of 196.3 billion to provide the marginalized sector with new and modernized health facilities and expanded health services.
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), on the other hand, was provided with 153.22 billion budget to fund the universal healthcare program.
Aside from close to half-trillion (1486.9 billion) Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), local governments was also provided with additional transfers such as the Local Government Support Fund.
1148 B for DILG The Department of the Interior and Local Government was allocated with a 1148.0 billion budget for 2017 to enable it to assist in the country’s efforts against illegal drugs, construct new jail facilities, and increase the allowance for prisoners.
1137.2 B for DND To improve peace and order in the country, the 2017 budget allocates the Department of National Defense (DND) the amount of 1137.2 billion for territorial defense, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program, and security and stability services.
The 2017 budget provided the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 1454.7 billion and the Department of Transportation (DoTr) 153.3 billion, an increase by 18.3 percent and 25.0 percent, respectively, compared to the 2016 allocations.
The DBM pointed out that the sizeable increase in both departments along with more than 1850 billion allotment for the construction of road networks in cities and provinces, school buildings, hospitals, transport infrastructure, and many other public works will raise productivity, generate jobs, and attract investments.
It will also facilitate the conduct of business and improve the mobility of people and accessibility of basic services.
138.4 B for irrigation The 138.4 billion budget granted to the National Irrigation Authority will cover irrigation fees used to be shouldered by Filipino farmers.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) was allocated with 145.2 billion while the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) was provided with 19.8 billion. This will intensify their support to Agrarian Reform Communities (ARC) and non-ARC and redistribute agricultural lands to farmers.
The government will also grant crop insurance to 1.3 million subsistence farmers and fisher folk to minimize damages from typhoons and other natural calamities. Programs for climate change adaptation, improvement of harvest productivity, research and development, market development, and construction of farm- to-market roads will be funded to improve the lives of Filipino farmers.
The buzzer-beating ratification assured that Duterte won’t work with a reenacted budget in his first full year in office. Compassionate but tough According to Nograles, the Duterte administration via the 2017 national budget will show both compassion and toughness to sectors that need these specific qualities.
“The national budget spells out in very clear terms the policy of the Duterte administration and that is to take care of the poor and marginalized sectors of society, with 40 percent going to social services.
“It also provided for hefty increases in the budget of the CHED to freely subsidize the tuition of university students in our State Universities and Colleges,” bared the Davao congressman.
“Considerable sums have also been allocated to the DOH to increase access to free medicines and hospitalization for the poor, as we also increased the budget allocation for Philhealth to expand its coverage over indigent patients,” he noted.
Nograles said next year’s budget fully supports the President’s all-out war on drugs, crime, and terrorism “by fully supporting the needs of our policemen and our soldiers, while providing funds for the establishment of drug rehabilitation centers.”