House realigns P6B of 1.6T proposed budget for 2011

The House of Representatives has realigned some P5 billion to P6 billion of the P1.6 trillion proposed national budget for 2011 to benefit, among others, districts with lower allocations, according to Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya. “Basically, the realignments were made for those districts with less than P50 million allocation to allow [them] to catch up," said Abaya, chairman of the House appropriations committee, on Thursday. He said some of the realigned funds would go to flood control and preventive maintenance projects as well as the rehabilitation of old roads. Some P2.5 billion, meanwhile, was realigned to the National Food Authority for the purchase – "and not importation" – of palay. Abaya said the fund will be sourced from the P5 billion initially earmarked for the private-public partnership (PPP) projects of the Department of Agriculture. On the other hand, the P5 billion per PPP allocation for Department of Public Works and Highways were untouched. The other realignments will go the Department of Education for the construction of schools, setting up of maternal facilities and immunization. Abaya said there will also be a specific provision on the conditional cash transfer particularly the setting up of an oversight committee. “Likewise there will be specific provisions on the implementation of CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program) to ensure that 20 percent of the farm to market roads will indeed benefit agrarian reform beneficiaries," he said. He further said some P1 to 1.2 billion fund will be made available for the rural electrification program, but they have yet to identify where it will be sourced from. “Funds will be made available. It might not be reflected (in the budget) and merely a declaration from the executive that it would be a continuing appropriation from 2010, but there is an assurance that the funds will be there," Abaya said. The House appropriations committee head expressed confidence the chamber will be able to approve the proposed budget Monday or Tuesday next week when the Congress resumes its session. “The books (printed copy of the proposed 2011 General Appropriations Act) will be ready Monday morning," he said. Abaya, together with House minority leader Edcel Lagman, Reps. Neptali Gonzales II, Jocelyn Limkaichong, Rolando Andaya met earlier to sift through the amendments submitted by their colleagues and approve the ones that will be included in the proposed budget. - KBK, GMANews.TV