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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 2023 GAB to include P77.5-B worth of amendments; find out what they are

2023 GAB to include P77.5-B worth of amendments; find out what they are

Published Oct 5, 2022 05:34 pm

Speaker Martin Romualdez has announced the inclusion of P77.5 billion worth of amendments to the House-approved 2023 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), with the bulk of the fund realignments favoring the sectors of health, education, transportation, and other critical social services.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker's office)

The 2023 GAB or proposed national budget for next year--the first full-year outlay of the Marcos administration--is worth a record P5.268 trillion.

Romualdez said that during the period of amendments preceding ratification of the 2023 GAB, the lower chamber augmented the budget of frontline agencies tasked to address the current economic, health, energy, and environmental crises that burden millions of Filipinos.

He bared the P77.5-billion figure on the amendments Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 5, just hours after the so-called "small committee" convened.

A member of the small committee, Committee on Appropriations Chairman Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, said his committee sought to free up appropriations from agencies whose funds are unlikely to be fully utilized within 2023. This was based on the agencies' historical performance or specific circumstances of their spending program.

Co noted that most of the realigned funds for the identified institutional amendments in the 2023 GAB came from deductions from programs and projects "whose budget may be allocated in succeeding fiscal years".

These include the P50 billion deducted from the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) proposed budget for the Metro Manila Subway Project and North-South Railway Commuter for next year.

“The idea is to allocate more budget for pro-people programs and projects without the need of imposing new taxes. One thing is sure: all major infrastructure projects will proceed as scheduled based on a timetable that is implementable for 2023,” Co guaranteed.

The list of institutional amendments is as follows:


P20.25 billion for various programs of the Department of Health (DOH) such as: Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (P13 billion); allowances for healthcare and non-healthcare workers and frontliners (P5 billion); additional funding for the Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, National Kidney and Transplant Institute and Philippine Children’s Medical Center Health (P500 million each); 10 dialysis assistance centers throughout the Philippines (a total of P270 million or P27 million each); Cancer Assistance Program (P250 million);

P500 million for the Philippine General Hospital;

P10 billion for the Department of Education (DepEd)’s school building/classroom construction and P581 million for special education programs;

P10 billion for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to construct water systems in underserved upland barangays;

P12.5 billion for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD), specifically the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (P5 billion); the upgrade in senior citizens’ pension through the National Commission of Senior Citizens (P5 billion); and Sustainable Livelihood Program (P2.5 billion);

P5.5nbillion for the Department of Transportation (DOTr) programs to address the rising cost of fuel like the fuel subsidy program, Libreng Sakay and bike lane construction;

P5 billion for the training and scholarship programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA);

P5 billion for the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) Tulong Dunong Program;

P5 billion for the livelihood and emergency employment programs of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);

P1.5 billion for the national broadband project of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT);

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P500 million for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) new building;

P300 million for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to train law enforcement officers to be conducted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and National Prosecution Service;

P250 million for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to assist the creative industry pursuant to Republic Act 11904;

P150 million for the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC);

P147 million for the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG); and

P50 million for the National Electrification Administration’s (NEA) barangay and sitio electrification program.

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