Lawmakers express hope, apprehension over P1.645-T budget

After President Benigno Simeon Aquino III signed on Monday the country's P1.645-trillion national budget, lawmakers expressed both hope and apprehension on how Malacañang would spend the fund. In a text message to GMANews.TV, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte reiterated his call for a wise and "on time" spending of the budget. “I am happy and grateful for the Congress vote of confidence in President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Now it is up to the executive department to spend it wisely and on time," he said. Belmonte earlier said the budget should not only be made available but, more importantly, be released on time to have the good impact on the lives of the people. Zambales Rep. Ma. Milagros Magsaysay, on the other hand, believed that the 2011 appropriation is not a pro-people budget. “Though he (Aquino) finished it in record time, it doesn’t really reflect the needs and priority projects that the people want to alleviate their lives. It gave a lot of discretionary or intelligence funds to PNoy contrary to his pronouncements that he abhors pork for himself and that he will exercise frugality as president," she said. Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio Arroyo Jr., meanwhile, welcomed the signing of the budget. “That will ensure the timely implementation of the national budget without having to rely on a reenacted budget at the beginning of the year," the brother in law of former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said in a separate text message. Good governance Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales II said Aquino’s signing of the budget “is the best way of showing to the Filipino people that the government is serious in and with its fiscal management and responsibility." Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, chairman of the House appropriations committee, the signing of the budget supports the Aquino's government’s thrust towards good governance. “For the first time in 11 years the budget is signed on the same year it was passed. It puts an end to the reenacted budget years. We have set a new standard as far as the budget process is concerned. We shall maintain if not improve on it," he said in a text message. He pointed out that the early signing of the budget allows the immediate implementation of the projects lined up by the new government. He explained that while a reenacted budget would have given the President greater discretion and flexibility, “it is not of the President’s character and sense of public service to attain such. A reenacted budget is not in line with good governance." Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said the timely approval of the budget will further bolster investor confidence in the country as it signals a more stable economic environment. Performance review Evardone thus urged the Department of Budget and Management to come up with a performance-based utilization of funds of agencies. “This means that budget allocations of departments and agencies should only be released based on their performance and absorptive capacity," he said. He added the civil society and non government organizations should also activate monitoring teams to ensure transparent budget utilization. In a press statement, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr expressed confidence that the 2011 budget will address the problem of mounting unemployment in the country. "Government is the country's single largest consumer and biggest employer. Its spending will help propel economic as well as jobs growth next year," he said. He said the government would pay out some P526 billion in salaries and benefits to public sector workers next year, thus driving household consumption spending. "Government spending will stimulate in a big way the demand for goods and services, and in the process energize local industries," he said. Domestic industries benefiting directly and indirectly from the spending are bound to create new employment, said Barzaga. He added next year's budget represents almost one-fifth or 18.2 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product. Barzaga said the budget's P148.2-billion fresh allocation for new public infrastructure spending would also be another driver of employment growth. "A provision in the budget requires contractors to adopt a labor-intensive mode of implementation of infrastructure projects. Priority hiring will be accorded to the underprivileged residents of local communities where the projects are located," he said. Barzaga said infrastructure spending would benefit poor households, mainly through construction-related jobs. Skills training Meanwhile, the P6.6 billion budget of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) includes P700 million for the Training for Work Program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. Barzaga said the program would benefit 50,000 job seekers. He also said P425 million has been set aside for the DOLE's Capability-Building for Employment Service of Students and Workers' Income Augmentation Program. Another P300 million has been allotted for the department's Employment Placement Facilitation Program, plus P21 million for Labor Market Information and Networking Program, Barzaga pointed out. On direct hiring, he said government would be creating 14,000 new posts next year -- for 10,000 teachers and 4,000 police, fire, and jail officers. The latest Labor Force Survey showed that some 2.8 million Filipinos were unemployed in October, up from 2.72 million in the same month in 2009. The survey indicated that some 80,000 able-bodied Filipinos, aged 15 years old and above, joined the ranks of the unemployed over the 12-month period. The number of underemployed Filipinos -- those partially employed and actively seeking longer hours of work -- also increased by 260,000 over the same period, from 6.88 million to 7.14 million, according to the survey. – VVP, GMANews.TV