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s/Jq; 4- |I news rHE PHTLIPPTNE srAR lt..

t WEDNESDAY I DECEMBER 4,2OI9

Senators realign P206 B in 2020 budget

By JESS DlAz Hiehwavs (DPVVH), for which the House
upirov"'d P529.7 billion for next yeal the
Senators have realigned a total of P206.2 Sliate first took awav P28.1 billion from
billon to their prqect! programs and ad- v driou s proiects before a d d in g P34.0 b ill iory
vocacies in their version of the proposed for a ne[addition of P6.8 bilJion. ircreasing
P4.1-trillion national budget for next year. the agenVs furding to P530.5 billion.
The realignments are reflected in a nine- Thie H5use contingent in the budget ialks
page surrLrnary the Senate contingent in is verifying which infrastru cture projects
ihe" bicameral'conJerence on the budget suffered rdductions of P28.1 billion, and
has sent to ils counterpart in the House of what roadg bridges and lhe like senators
Representatives. The STAR has obiained a have funded widr the almost P35-billion
coDv ot tlre summary realienment in the same department.
'Also narrsmifted to the House was a two- C6nciessmen also want tb know whether
inch-thick list of the hr.rndreds of changes the senitord proiects have been vetted by
made. Congressmen described the listing as the DPWH arid are Part of its Priorities. For
"vague and lacks trarspa-rency contraly to the Deoartrnent of N ational Deferse, indud-
what the Serrate has inq thi Armed Forces of the Philippines,
promised." TheY are thE House had approved Pi89.7 billion. ln
how hacing where its version of thibudget. the Senate fust
sPecificallY senators cut P16.6 billion before restoring the same
have div'erted the amount and then ad d ing P2 billi6n for their
P205.2 billion and chosen proiects or programs.
where thev tock the ln the Deparbnent of Education, senators
funds. initialh' removed PI1.3 biliorr after which
By tradition, any thev a6ded P12.4 b lion for a net addition
realignmeiit, ang. of F1 .5 billion.
mentation or diver- tn the Department of Agdc'ntue (DA),
sion is da-ssified as the Senate cut P2.8 billion before adding
a pork barrel fund P5.9 billion, for a net addition of P4.1 billion,
belonging to its law- increa6ine its budeet to 159.1 billion.
maker-proponent the Nitional Fdd,Authoritv (NFA) whidr
Since last vear, some is under the DA, suffered a Ribillion reduc-
of these ad iu strnen s tioninib Pl Gbillion palav pmcurement fund.
have been desqibed Sotto and Angari hai,d said finance sub-
as " institutional committee chairperson Sen. Cvnthia V lar
amendments," transferred the P3 bilion to th6 Land Banl<"
Accortling to A1-' whith Wbuld make the money available to
bay Rep. Joey Sal- the NFA as a loar.
ceda, a member of Villar said the funding was meant to Pro-
the House contin' vide cash assistance to rice farmers.
, gent in the budgiet She described as 'fake new$' Salceda's
con{ercnge, senators allesations that the Senate cut P3 billion
funded their proiects for il.re NFA s procurement of palay-the
to help
by making "dagdag- farmers cope'with the impa& of Ricb
bawas" in the pro- Tariffication Law
posed 2020 outlav. "We're giving out cash assistance to our
' Though Senite {armers thrtueh-the DA, so we don't have to
President Vicente buy rice, but gi-ve out cash assistance sbaiSht
Sotto Itr and finance to ihem," she said.
committee chair- The Depaftnent of Health received one of
mar Sen. ]uan Ed- the biggesi aupgnentations. Some P513.7 mil-
gardo Angara have lion was cut before Pl2 billion was added, for
brushed aside Sal- anetadditionof P11.6billioru which inaeased
ceda's accusation,. the asency's fundins to PI00.5 billior
it is evideni in the Tfi'e S6nate pad"ded the budget of the
nine-page $urmary Deoarhnent of lnformation and Communi-
that senators wielded cations Technology from P3.7 billion to P8.4
their dagdag-b awas billion. The P4.7-billion adiushnent is bigger
(add-cut) kniJe aqoss than the orieinal appropriation. Former
the proposed budget. senator Greeirio Ho'nLsair heads the DICT.
Thev re duced In the caie of the Departrnent of Envi-
a oorooiations to fi- ronment and Natural Resourcet one of the
n'airce' their proiects offices that suffered net reductions, senators
in the same agincies. initiallv removed P2.7 billion before retum-
In some cases, they ins"The P1:7 billion.
increased agency Deoartment of Transportation
funding by cutting (DOTr)had rebigfst cut of I25.7b ionThe
other approp riations. Senate shaved P31.1 billion 6om the agency's u
For instance, in Pl 46billion ouflav for next vear beforrdrest'or- - n-t
the Department of ingP5.4 bilion effuvely rfrucing isbudgel
'pynou
Public Works and, tof'120.3 bi[ion. - With Paolo Romero