JULY 27, 2011

NR # 2477C

House to ensure 2012 proposed budget conforms to PNoys SONA commitments

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. today enjoined his colleagues in Congress to actively join and support the forthcoming budget deliberations on the administrations P1.816 trillion proposed national budget for next year, which he said gives flesh and spirit to the aspirations of President Aquino for the Filipino people which he enumerated in his State of the Nation Address (SONA). As the President stated in his SONA, the budget message contains a more comprehensive plan for the coming year. He has set the direction in his SONA, and how to accomplish things have been elaborated in his budget message to lawmakers, Belmonte said. Belmonte earlier lauded the Presidents SONA speech as inspiring to Filipinos, who now see clear and new directions on good governance in the Aquino administration. It likewise stressed that the people hold the power of change, he said. The President highlighted in his SONA the need for infrastructure funding to secure the sustained growth of the economy, which will then give rise to jobs, and public service that guarantees that no one will be left behind. He also equated tourism investments to more opportunities for livelihood. Strengthening of the agriculture sector, will ensure that every Filipino will have food on his table according to him. Investments on those who were once neglected, like the poor were also cited as an administration priority, Belmonte said. The ways and means to attain these goals are elaborated in the budget proposal submitted to House leaders on Tuesday afternoon by Budget Secretary Florencio Abad according to Belmonte. The sectoral allocations are clearly specified and calculated based on the administrations goal to ensure ample education, public health and social protection for the poor. Belmonte said it is now up to members of Congress to scrutinize the relevance and accuracy of the sectoral allocations. We will see if these are necessary and jibe with the SONA commitments of the President, which is the chief executives yearly report to the entire nation. Abad earlier told House leaders that spending on the Social Services sector shall get a significant share of P575.8 billion, representing 31.7 percent of the National Budget. The Economic Services Sector shall get P438.9 billion or 24.2 percent of the proposed national budget, while Debt Burden shall be allocated with P356.1 billion or 19.6 percent of the proposed general appropriation. The General Public Services and Defense Sectors have

proposed budgets of P332.1 billion or 18.3 percent, and P113.1 billion or 6.2 percent, respectively, of the proposed National Budget according to Abad. Congress will validate the corresponding projects and programs under these sectoral allocations to ensure the budget as a whole can effectively achieve the Presidents Social Contract with the Filipino people, said Belmonte. The Speaker vowed that the House will do its earnest to see to it that it follows a schedule to enable the President to approve the General Appropriations Act before the end of the year. Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said budget hearings will start on August 1, and expressed hope the budget measure would be signed by December 15. Under the proposed 2012 GAA, the Department of Education (DepEd) will continue to receive the lions share with P238.8 billion, followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with P125.5 billion, the Department of National Defense (DND) with P107.9 billion, the Department of Agriculture with 54.1 billion, and Department of Social Welfare and Development, which handles the administration flagship anti-poverty Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program, with P49.4 billion. (30)