By
Liling Magtolis Briones
From ABS-CBN Interactive
October 8, 2007
Last September 25, 2007, Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, Chairman
of the Committee on Appropriations reported on historic initiatives
undertaken by Congress. One of these is its unequivocal support
for people participation in the budget process. For the second
straight year, Congress passed a Resolution accepting the participation
of people’s organizations and non-government organizations
in making the national budget. The resolution was jointly authored
by Representatives TG Guingona and Erin Tanada.
Last September 25, 2007, Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, Chairman of the
Committee on Appropriations reported on historic initiatives undertaken
by Congress. One of these is its unequivocal support for people
participation in the budget process. For the second straight year,
Congress passed a Resolution accepting the participation of people’s
organizations and non-government organizations in making the national
budget. The resolution was jointly authored by Representatives
TG Guingona and Erin Tanada .
This year, the Appropriations Committee under the leadership of
Rep. Lagman went a step further. He convened the Executive Committee
and invited 48 civil society organizations convened by Social
Watch Philippines to present the Alternative Budget Initiative.
The ABI was developed in partnership with members of the Minority
Group led by Representatives Ronaldo Zamora, TG Guingona and Darlene
Custodio, and the Liberal Party convened by Erin Tanada.
In the entire history of the budget process in the Philippines
, this is the very first time that people participation was allowed.
Under the present system, the national budget is usually proposed
by the Executive branch of government. Civil society organizations
volunteer as “resource persons”. This is the first
time the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) was entertained by
the Appropriations Committee.
In the words of Rep. Lagman, “The traditional practice of
solely limiting budget briefings and hearings to heads and representatives
of government departments and agencies is an incomplete process.
Verily, the people, who are the ultimate beneficiaries of sufficient
budgetary allocations, or the casualties of meager or absent allotments,
should be given the opportunity to be heard through their non-elective
and alternative representatives in the PO and NGO community.”
Deputy Majority Leader Eduardo R. Gullas even suggested that people’s
participation should not be limited to the national budget. He
proposed that the practice be institutionalized in local governments
too.
The Alternative Budget Proposals. An additional
P25 billion was proposed for services related to the Millennium
Development Goals in the ABI. Expectedly, more than one-third
of the proposal amounting to P10.2 billion is for basic education.
An addition of P330 million was proposed for new teaching and
non teaching positions. It was likewise proposed that an additional
P420 million be allocated for school furniture and P760 million
for elementary and secondary school buildings in areas with acute
classroom shortage. Alternative learning programs is a special
advocacy of CSOs. For them, it is not enough that the government
ensures primary education for children. Adults who did not have
the opportunity to go to school need to be educated as well. Thus,
P509 million is proposed for this advocacy. Finally, additional
proposals of P8 billion were also made for maintenance and operating
expenditures of elementary and secondary schools, as well as full
Magna Carta benefits for teachers.
Higher education needs to be strengthened in order to support
the need for well-trained teachers in elementary and secondary
education. An additional P2 billion is proposed by ABI for higher
education. Of this amount, P1.6 billion is proposed for strengthening
SUCs which have been recognized as Centers of Excellence and upgrading
their teacher-training programs, particularly in the hard sciences.
Furthermore, P284 million is proposed for CHED scholarships to
enhance the professional competence of teachers.
On the other hand an additional P5.6 billion is proposed for health.
A major portion of this is P5 billion to support the program of
one midwife per barangay. Other proposed expenditures are for
the Botika sa Barangay, the Tuberculosis Control Program, Epidemiology
and Disease Surveillance Program, Health Promotion and Health
System Development.
The proposed additional expenditures in agriculture are primarily
for sustainable agriculture. A total of P133.5 million is proposed
for education for sustainable agriculture, research and development,
production support, extension services and demonstration farms.
Finally, the ABI is strongly batting for additional expenditures
for protecting the environment. This is a sorely neglected aspect
of governance. While most countries are racing against time to
respond to global warming, climate change and other environmental
challenges, it is still business as usual in the Philippines .
ABI is therefore proposing additional expenditures of P6.9 billion.
Where will the money come from? The additional
expenditures of P25 billion will not entail new funding. Sources
totaling P61 billion have already been identified. These are budget
items which are vague, not covered by appropriation language,
or don’t contain special provisions for spending.
The journey to participatory budgeting. It is
said that a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.
A number of steps have already been made. Let the journey continue.
(Ms.
Leonor Briones is a former National Treasurer of the Philippines.
She is currently teaching public administration at the National
College of Public Administration and Governance, University of
the Philippines. She also writes a column for the Business Mirror)
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