If she becomes president, Vice President Leni Robredo is eyeing the reorientation of some P500-billion discretionary funds from different government agencies to finance her COVID-19 recovery plan, which some critics said was “ambitious.”
“Pero kailangan talaga kasi maging ambitious tayo, eh. Kailangan maging ambitious kasi ang laki ng problema natin ngayon (We need to be ambitious. We need to be ambitious because we have a huge problem),” she said during a press conference on Monday, Nov. 8, for her “Kalayaan sa (Freedom from) COVID” plan.
With a degree in economics, Robredo and her team already crunched the numbers.
“Kasi maraming mga departments ang puwede nating i-reorient ang kanilang budget para ang focus, COVID response. Iyong kwenta namin ngayon na nahanap na namin sa (There are many departments from which we can reorient their budget to focus on COVID response. Our computation is we found a) budget somewhere in the area na mga (of around) P500 billion,” she said.
The Vice President added that they will start with the discretionary funds of the Office of the President, which amounts to P4.5 billion, followed by special purpose funds from different offices and agencies totaling P54 billion.
“May tinitingnan kami ngayon na mga puwedeng mahugot (We are looking right now that we can get) from DPWH, DOH, from the Office of the President, from all the other agencies, iyon nga, naku-kuwenta na namin parang (we computed around) P500 billion,” she explained.
Robredo released details of her COVID-19 recovery plan last week. The plan includes the full implementation of the Universal Health Care Act, free and accessible health care for all, an unemployment insurance system, cash aid, and stimulus for small-and medium-sized enterprises.
Although critics said the plan was “ambitious,” the presidential aspirant maintained that she has proven what she can do with the meager resources of the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
“Nagawa na namin iyan dito sa opisina, na mayroon kaming kakarampot na pera pero siniguro namin na i-shift muna siya sa COVID response. Possible siya, eh (We already did that here in the office, we have a small budget but we made sure to shift it first to COVID response. It is possible),” she said.
“Kailangan lang talagang all hands on deck tayo, na lahat ng mga agencies committed, na iyong kanilang mga pondo na hindi pa very urgent gamitin for other items, magamit muna (We need to be all hands on deck, all agencies must be committed, that their funds that are not for very urgent will be used for other items, will be used) for COVID response,” Robredo added.
READ: Duque out if Robredo wins; VP says new DOH chief must be 'competent, accountable'
Aside from government funds, Robredo also wants to tap the private sector, an important partner in the OVP’s flagship poverty alleviation program, Angat Buhay.
The private sector, she emphasized, is always ready to help as long as they are confident of where their help will be allocated.
“So iyong sa akin talaga, eh i-engage ang (So, for me really, is engage) all sectors of the Philippine society sa pag-rebuild ng ating bansa (in rebuilding our country)," Robredo said.