The proposed national budget for 2024 is still “woefully unfit” to address the continuing economic crisis in the country despite state economic managers’ attempts to “paint a rosy picture” of the Philippine economy, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros during a Kapihan sa Senado forum. (Senate PRIB Photo)

“The country and the world continues to be in crisis mode, and continues to be faced by new challenges. The budget as it is being expended and proposed is not fit for that purpose,” Hontiveros said on Wednesday, August 16.

“The rosy pictures being painted by the administration do not reflect the troubling reality being faced by Filipinos, especially those in marginalized sectors,” she pointed out. 

The Senate, on Wednesday, resumed the Development Budget Coordination Committee’s (DBCC) briefing on the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024. During the briefing, economic managers have admitted that inflation during the first semester had caused a slowdown in gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

Hontiveros noted this was also aggravated by the rising prices of rice and other food products due to recent floods, the El Nino phenomenon, and import limitations being imposed by ASEAN exporters - along with increasing costs of oil and petroleum products due to the Ukraine conflict.

“Kabaliktaran sa hinaharap ng mga kababayan natin yung sinasabi na ‘better economic situation,’ lalo na’t walang tigil ang pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin at basic services,” Hontiveros said (What they tout to be a better economic situation is opposite to the problems our citizens continue to face, especially since the increase in the price of goods and basic services do not stop)” she pointed out.

The deputy minority leader said next year’s expenditure “should not be in denial of the hardships” being faced by Filipinos.

She pointed out there are numerous studies, including the Social Weather Station (SWS) survey evidencing the real economic situation in the country. 

The SWS recent survey, for one, showed that half of Filipino families or around 14 million households consider themselves poor during the first quarter of 2023.

She also said an SWS survey revealing more Filipinos have experienced involuntary hunger in the second quarter; and the Kantar Philippines report in which seven out of 10 Filipinos are worried about rising grocery prices should also be considered by the Marcos administration.

“Malinaw na hindi ramdam ng maraming Pilipino yung ipinagmamalaking pagbaba ng poverty at unemployment rates. Sa kanila na nanggaling, ramdam nilang mahirap sila at nagugutom (It is clear that many Filipinos do not feel the proud reduction in poverty and unemployment rates. For those who came, they felt they were poor and hungry),” she said.

“At kahit sa trabaho, ang sinasabing best in decades ay paglaganap ng jobs-of-last resort. Ito ba ang depinisyon ng ginhawa (And even in terms of work, they consider the proliferation of jobs-of-last resort to be the best in decade. Is this the definition of comfort)?” she pointed out.

“This is a time of crisis, and the 2024 national budget should reflect that fact in the form of greater assistance to our people,” she reiterated.