House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said on Friday there are new guidelines for lawmakers on where they can use their P70-M Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), less formally known as the "pork barrel." Belmonte said the P70-M pork barrel allotted to each lawmaker may be used only for projects such as:
scholarships; purchase of medical equipment; purchase of ambulance and mobile clinic; insurance premium; medical mission; livelihood trainings for small medium enterprises (SMES); rural electrification; construction/repair of roads, bridges, flood control projects, markets; construction of multi-purpose buildings, academic buildings, irrigation facilities; purchase of fire trucks, patrol vehicles, multi-cab, prisoners’ van, police patrol; construction/repair of jails; establishment of forest management programs, historical sites/ heritage, cultural/ sports program, alternative learning system; training of physical therapists and nurses, and feeding programs. Belmonte noted that he knows of three legislators who used their pork barrel to fund their own foundations. This will no longer be allowed under the new guidelines set by the House appropriations committee and the Department of Budget and Management. The pork barrel can also not be used to finance the lawmakers' non-government organizations or intelligence work. “They have to look for other ways of funding that. It is not in the menu, we try to be transparent, and we enumerated a long list of four pages of what can be done to the money. Anything that is not there will not be allowed," he said. Transparency and accountability Belmonte said the new menu “promotes transparency and accountability." Earlier, Visayas and Mindanao threatened to stall the budget deliberations due to low funds allocated to their regions. He said items that cannot be scrutinized by the Commission on Audit (such as funds for intelligence work, foundations, and others) were not included in the menu. “After much discussion, clarification and rectification we have all agreed to a menu that makes that makes it a lot more open, nothing mysterious about it, these are the items for which the money can be used and these are subject to scrutiny by anybody particularly their own constituents," he said. Belmonte said the new menu “gives a little leeway and elbow room for public services that can be funded under PDAF," unlike the original menu submitted by the DBM which the lawmakers viewed as restrictive. Budget Secretary Florencio Abad initially refused to have the menu adjusted but later changed his stance when Belmonte threatened to step down from his post. “I did say it. Yeah, I did say it just to impress on them that I’m very concerned about the observation and even complaints (of the House members) and that I will do my very best to see that they are done," the Speaker said. P50-M allocation each from DPWH Aside from the P70-million pork barrel for each lawmaker, their districts may get an additional P50-million worth of projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). This amount is separate from the P25-million allocation the lawmakers could get from the motor vehicle user’s charge, as earlier assured by DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson. Belmonte said there is an imbalance in the funds set by the DPWH for projects in different cities and provinces. Some areas receive huge funds from the DPWH while others do not. Those districts which have an allocation more than P50 million will no longer get additional funds from the DPWH. He cited that the second district of Pampanga, represented by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, has an allocation of P2.2 billion from the DPWH while the first district of the province will only get P6 million. “Hindi natin matatanggal ang 2.2 billion pero pwede natin madagdagan yung P6 million, Belmonte said. He added that his district has an allocation of P66 million. “Let me try to tell you that, the NEP (national expenditure program), if you study, it also indicates certain amounts to be spent by the DPWH in the various districts. It was observed that some districts were really going to get a big amount of money because there are major projects there in that place," said Belmonte. Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said in a separate interview, “Meaning, if there is an on-going national road project in a particular district amounting to P40 million, it could get an additional P10 million to reach the ceiling of P50 million. This is not across the board and cannot be considered as pork barrel because it is part of the regular national government project." The 52 party list representatives will not be not entitled to the 50 million lump sum from the DPWH because they are not representing any district. The House has 278 members. Bayan Muna Rep.Teddy Casiño criticized the P50-million allocation. “I am shocked that the DBM has agreed to give all district representatives an additional P50 million each from the 2011 DPWH lump sum as admitted by the House leadership to the media this afternoon. This is on top of existing pork barrel funds. Is this the price Malacañang is willing to pay to ensure the smooth approval of its preferred pork – the conditional cash transfers? This is pork in exchange of pork. Biglang lumiko ang tuwid na daan pagdating sa Kongreso," said Casiño. - VVP, GMANews.TV 
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