The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Monday, Dec. 15, admitted to being "reactive" in nature as the body usually defers to the "wisdom" of legislators in terms of insertions.

This was the pronouncement of DBM Acting Secretary Rolando Toledo when Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Commissioner Rossana Fajardo asked him during the body's flood control project hearing how the agency was handling the country's budget.

"Do you accept that the role of the DBM is somehow more reactive rather than proactive management of the budget?" Fajardo asked.

Toledo responded: "In terms of preparation, we are supposed to be on top of it."

"But in terms of legislation, we are just reactive, kasi we, of course, depend on the wisdom of the legislators," he added.

During DBM's participation in ICI's investigation, the commissioners frowned over the country's yearly budget approval process.

Commissioner Babes Singson, who officially resigned from his role on the same day, noted that lawmakers have already mastered the process of insertions as early as during the consultation process on the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

The country's budget includes the NEP proposal coming from the DBM, which will be endorsed to both houses of Congress. The solons will then come up with a measure, the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or the legislative equivalent of the NEP.

The GAB will then go through consolidation under the Bicameral Conference Committee. The resulting finalized measure will be ratified by the House of Representatives and Senat3, before being referred to the President for his signature.

After being signed, the GAB will become the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Despite the laborious process, some projects that were not properly reviewed made it to GAA in various years.

Singson said that many supposed flood control projects that turned anomalous were inserted under "flood mitigation" projects.

"In O3, or other projects, just a one-liner, two-liner project description will find its way into the budget, 'no," Singson said, referring to the provision of the law.

"So, it's very unfortunate that not enough time was given because a lot of those, especially kung (if) dredging flood mitigation, the one that happened in Cebu, all of that should have been vetoed because they have no basis whatsoever for it to be funded," he added.

Toledo also noted that "It's unfortunate on our part that we do not know actually those insertions coming from the legislator."

"Because it's a process that is done by the legislative level, and I think that should be coordinated also with the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) just in case I really needs to implement that project," he said.