Ni NOEL ABUEL
Kumpiyansa si House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez na papayag ang Senate contingent sa P77 bilyon na institutional amendments ng Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso sa P5.268-trillion 2023 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) na dagdag na pondo para sa edukasyon, kalusugan ay transportasyon at iba pa.
“We really feel that these institutional amendments will redound to the benefit of the people. Hinding-hindi tayo magkakamali kung ang kapakanan ng mamamayan ang ating uunahin,” pahayag pa ni Romualdez.
“And we are confident that the Senate and the House bicam members will see eye-to-eye on this. Our objectives are the same: to pass a people’s budget that reflects President Marcos Jr.’s 8-point economic agenda that will help the country bounce back from the pandemic,” dagdag nito.
Ganito rin ang paniniwala ni House Appropriations Committee chairman at Ako Bikol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co sa pagsasabing ang kalagayan ng taumbayan ang prayoridad ng Kamara kung saan ang P77 bilyon na institutional amendments ng mga ito ang malaking tulong.
“Our amendments can speak for themselves. You can see that is indeed pro-people and pro-development as we prioritized health, education and transportation. We are confident that if the Senate and the House approve these amendments, we can recover well from the pandemic in 2023,” sabi ni Co.
Maingat umanong pinag-aralan ng Kamara,ñ ang mga institutional amendments tulad ng mga programang ayudabna direktang makikinabang sa mamamayan, tulad ng P12.5 bilyon ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) na hinati-hati sa Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations o AICS (P5B); pag-upgrade ng senior citizens’ pension sa pamamagitan ng National Commission of Senior Citizens (P5B); at Sustainable Livelihood Program (P2.5B).
Tinukoy rin ni Co ang Department of Transportation (DOTr) na P5.5 bilyon para sa programa na tutugon sa tumataas na presyo ng produktong petrolyo tulad ng fuel subsidy program (P2.5B), Libreng Sakay (P2B) at bike lane construction (P1B) at ang Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) na mayroong P5 bilyon para sa Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program (P3B) at livelihood (P2B) na bahagi ng tulong sa mga Filipino.
Kasama rin sa iba pang bahagi ng P77 bilyon institutional amendments ay ang P20.25 bilyon ng DOH para sa programang Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (P13B), healthcare and non-healthcare workers at frontliners (P5B); support for specialty hospitals (P2B); at Cancer Assistance Program (P250M).
At ang P10 bilyon ng DepEd para sa school and classroom construction at special education programs na P50M; TESDA na P5 bilyon; CHED na P P5 bilyon; Department of Public Works and Highways na P10 bilyon; Department of Information and
Communications Technology (DICT) na mayroong P1.5 bilyon; Commission on Election (Comelec) P500 milyon.
“What we did was allocate more budget to pro-people programs without need to sacrifice our national programs and projects for job creation. We are confident that there will be no contentions with our amendments here,” sabi pa ni Co.
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