House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez has called on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release the remaining P7.59 billion funds of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to ensure the full-blown implementation of its scholarship programs for this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Romualdez, together with 16 other lawmakers, led the filing of House Resolution No. 1201 directing the DBM to release the balances of appropriations and/or allotment for the TESDA's scholarship programs amounting to P7, 598, 736,000.
“The P7, 598, 736,000 under Republic Act No. 11465 (General Appropriations Act of 2020), is expected to serve 266, 938 enrolled individuals,” Romualdez, chairperson of the House Committee on Rules, said.
Under the resolution, the House leader stressed that the full implementation of the scholarship programs is necessary “in order to support a wide magnitude of affected workers and enterprises due to economic slowdown, closure of establishments, and the expected influx of returning OFWs.”
Romualdez also explained that the filing of the resolution is also in response to President Duterte’s marching order "to increase the effort of all government agencies to alleviate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly to assist returning OFWs and displaced Filipino workers and enterprises.
Among the co-authors of the resolution are AKO Bicol partylist Reps. Alfredo Garbin Jr. and Elizaldy Co, Makati City 2nd District Rep. Luis Campos Jr, Bukidnon 3rd District Rep. Manuel Antonio Zubiri, Negros Oriental 1st District Rep. Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong, Quezon 2nd District Rep. David Suarez, Aklan 2nd District Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr., Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Ferdinand Gaite, MAGSASAKA partylist Rep. Argel Cabatbat, Deputy Speaker and Laguna 1st District Rep. Dan Fernandez, Zamboanga City 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, Valenzuela City 1st District Rep. Wes Gatchalian, Iloilo City lone District Rep. Julienne “Jam” Baronda, House Minority Leader and Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., and Bulacan 1st District Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado.
During last week’s budget deliberations, lawmakers sought to augment the budget of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and its attached agencies, including TESDA.
The House Committee on Appropriations pushed for the DBM’s restoration of the 2018 and 2019 funds allocated for the starter toolkits for scholars in the Special Training for Employment Program (STEP) after some House members expressed disappointment over TESDA’s failure to immediately distribute the tool kits meant for STEP trainees.