Watchdog: House-approved 2027 nat’l budget not ‘people-centered’

MANILA — The proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 national budget that was approved by the House of Representatives is concerning and not people-centered, a civil society organization said on Sunday.

People’s Budget Coalition co-convenor AJ Montesa said that House members seemed to return to their old practices after a year of showing good faith following the revelation of the flood control scandal and budget anomalies.

“Nakakabahala at disappointing,” he told DZMM’s Ano’ng Ganap? “Hindi siya people-centered budget, politics-centered budget po talaga ito. Naghahanda na sila para sa darating na eleksyon.” 

The coalition flagged several insertions into the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget amounting to P179 billion. Montesa explained that these insertions were projects added by House members and were not proposed by the DPWH.

“Concerned kami dito because ito ‘yung mga projects na may mataas na risk na maging ghost project kasi hindi naman ito planado, hindi naman ito na-cost ng DPWH ngunit ‘yung congressman ‘yung nagsasabi na, ‘I-implement n’yo ‘yan,’” he said.

Among the insertions, Montesa said, were funds allotted for the districts of those in the lower chamber’s leadership, including Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, the House Majority Leader and son of the president. 

Montesa pointed out that the allocation for the Ilocos Norte 1st District Engineering Office jumped tenfold, from P400 million to P4 billion. He added that the proposed multi-purpose buildings in the district soared from four to over 200.

“I would say mas important pa nga ‘yung national road. In fact, ‘yung mga national road, ‘yun pa ‘yung binawasan nila para dagdagan itong mga maliliit na projects na ito,” Montesa said. 

The co-convenor likewise lamented the P130-billion budget cut for foreign-assisted projects (FAPs), including the North-South Commuter Railway and Metro Manila Subway projects. 

For FAPs, the Philippines receives loans from other nations or international financial institutions. However, the government still needs to allocate a budget for the projects. 

Montesa said that, in addition to interest, the country has to pay penalty fees if the project implementation gets delayed.

“Ang ginawa ng House ay deprioritize na lang ‘yung foreign-assisted projects; Mas pinrioritize ‘yung infrastructure sa Ilocos Norte, sa Nueva Ecija. ‘Yung politiko ‘yung nakikinabang habang ‘yung nagbabayad ng buwis, nadadagdagan at nadadagdagan ‘yung burden na kailangan natin bayaran,” he said. 

Senator JV Ejercito, the upper chamber’s finance committee chairman, said he will fight for the budget for FAPs.

Ejercito said the Philippines needed to keep up with its neighbors when it came to infrastructure development and economic growth.

“Nag-i-invest sila (Asian neighbors) heavily on infrastructure for the last 30, 40 years. Sa atin, kung taon-taon ganito nangyayari, kakalikutin, mapupunta sa social programs na lang ang karamihan, kaya napag-iiwanan tayo,” the senator said on his radio show Executive Session on DZRH on Saturday.

“Hindi buong buhay aasa tayo sa ayuda. Kailangan trabaho’t hanapbuhay ang ating pagtrabahuhan,” he said. 

Aside from DPWH, Montesa said that there were huge insertions into assistance programs such as the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation and the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP). 

He stressed that some of these assistance programs required individuals to reach out to politicians.

“Hindi siya magandang sistema dahil nagki-create po siya ng patronage na tinatawag. Nagiging form of pork barrel po talaga siya kung saan ‘yung politiko ‘yung nagiging gate keeper dito sa mga karapatan natin for medical assistance, for financial assistance, for anti-poverty measures,” Montesa said. 

Ejercito, meanwhile, said that the P6 billion that was slashed from immunization and information campaigns had been realigned to MAIFIP.

“Tinanggal mo ‘yung immunization, ‘yung bakuna, ‘yung preventive tapos ‘yung information campaign. So, magkakasakit ang tao para nga naman may mabigyan ng medical assistance,” the lawmaker said. 

Ejercito emphasized that while MAIFIP helped the public, the implementation of universal healthcare should be strengthened.

He suggested increasing funds for zero-balance billing, free checkups, and medicines. In the meantime, the MAIFIP should slowly diminish, Ejercito said.

The Senate is currently deliberating the proposed 2027 national budget after the House approved it last week.