Real-time info on solons’ ‘pork’ now available online

Constituents of senators and congressmen can now check in real time where their lawmakers are using their priority development assistance funds (PDAF), commonly known as "pork barrel." This is after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) introduced on Wednesday a new management information system, called the electronic Transparency and Accountability Initiative for Lump Sum Funds (eTAILS), on its website. "This project is to improve transparency, accountability and engagement of the citizenry… The Aquino administration is committed to governance in daylight—governance that is transparent and meaningfully participatory," Budget chief Florencio Abad said during the project’s launch. The eTAILS project allows real-time online access of information on the PDAF by digitizing the processing of lump sum funds. Data on special allotment release orders (SAROs) that have already been approved are automatically uploaded to the DBM website.

With the new DBM information system, you can now check how much 'pork barrel' has already been disbursed to a lawmaker, and where he or she plans to use the money. Screen grab from www.dbm.gov.ph

The eTAILS database also allows users to choose which senator, congressman or party-list representative’s PDAF they want to track. Users can also specify the region, province and district they are interested in. Members of the House of Representatives get P70 million in PDAF while senators get P200 million in PDAF to enable them to categorically name priority projects for government funding. Lawmakers impressed Senator Teofisto Guingona III, chair of the blue ribbon committee, said he was "impressed" by the DBM’s effort to promote transparency in the release of the PDAF. "Things were not clear in the past, and this has been a source of maneuvering of people’s money. Thanks to technology, things will be clearer now," Guingona said in a speech during the event. For his part, Cavite Rep. Emilio Abaya, who heads the House committee on appropriations, said that the eTAILS will make sure that priority projects are properly funded. "This ensures that projects from the PDAF will be in accordance with the President’s priorities," Abaya, who is aligned with the administration party, said in a separate speech. During the same event, the DBM also officially launched the “2011 People’s Budget," a publication which features a simplified version of this year’s national budget. "This will serve as guide for citizens on how to better understand the budget and how they can participate in the budget process," Director Virginia Follosco of the DBM Training and Information Service said. The projects were launched in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). — RSJ, GMA News