Home finances committee chairperson Mika Suansing has mentioned that the chamber has eliminated P35 billion from a line merchandise within the unprogrammed appropriations for 2026. Does that imply that the whole for UA has been lowered?
The quick reply is not any, not less than within the Home’s authorized model of the Normal Appropriations Invoice (GAB) for the upcoming fiscal 12 months.
Unprogrammed funds have been the topic of intense scrutiny previously months, with watchdogs calling it a shadow finances.
Some opposition Home members have tried to zero out the UA within the proposed 2026 finances, however a movement forwarded by Akbayan Consultant Chel Diokno within the plenary in early October misplaced the vote.
What occurred
The Nationwide Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted to Congress by the manager, via the Division of Finances and Administration (DBM), proposed P249 billion in unprogrammed funds.
The finances modification assessment sub-committee of the Home appropriations panel eliminated the particular provision known as “Public Well being Emergency Advantages and Allowances for Well being Care and Non-Well being Care Staff,” supposedly supposed to fund the COVID-19 allowance and compensation of pandemic medical frontline workers. The Division of Well being had mentioned the well being employees have already been paid.
That implies that earlier than the 2026 Home GAB underwent a second studying vote, the UA stood at P243.2 billion after subtracting P6.7 billion in COVID-19 allowances.
The chief additionally initially proposed P80.86 billion for what was the federal government’s Strengthening Help for Authorities Infrastructure and Social Packages (SAGIP).
The discharge of SAGIP funds, as per the regulation, is barely approved when the federal government has extra income collections, new income collections, or authorized loans for foreign-assisted initiatives.
However previously years, SAGIP funds have been used to fund native flood management initiatives, that are alleged to have been corrupted by dangerous actors.
Flood management initiatives are additionally alleged to fall below programmed funds, and never below unprogrammed appropriations, elevating questions on whether or not the finances has been used correctly.
In spite of everything, why are standby funds getting used to finance flood management initiatives that would have been deliberate upfront anyway?
To resolve the problem, the Home eliminated P35 billion that was initially below SAGIP, giving it a brand new whole of P45.09 billion.
SAGIP is now known as simply SAGP, which suggests “Strengthening Help for Authorities Packages.”
Allocations below SAGP, as offered by Suansing in a press convention, are as follows. This breakdown can’t be discovered within the Home GAB.
The place did it go
However simply because SAGIP funds had been lowered within the unprogrammed appropriations doesn’t imply that UA funding has gone all the way down to P208 billion.
That P35 billion stays, however is now below a distinct line merchandise, known as “Authorities of the Philippines Counterpart of International-Assisted Initiatives (FAP).” The mentioned provision was not visibly a part of the NEP, and solely launched within the Home GAB.
Once we say visibly, it’s as a result of in response to Suansing, the “Authorities of the Philippines Counterpart of FAP” line merchandise was initially below SAGIP, however the breakdown couldn’t discovered within the Home GAB or in previous budgets. Solely the DBM has the checklist of applications.
So what distinction does it make, when the P35 billion remains to be a part of unprogrammed appropriations anyway, simply transferred from one line merchandise to a different?
“Placing the FAPS out from the previous SAGIP permits us to place extra stringent safeguards to make sure that it will not be abused,” Suansing mentioned. “Undoubtedly, flood management initiatives are prohibited below SAGIP.”
We requested Suansing: so can flood management initiatives be funded utilizing the “Authorities of the Philippines Counterpart of FAP” provision?
She mentioned that based mostly on the DBM’s checklist, which has but to be made accessible to the general public, there are not any flood management initiatives below that line merchandise.
“I’ll simply examine with the DBM if we will share it to all as a result of the one cause why there’s some sensitivity round it, there are growth companions who don’t wish to publicize explicit initiatives except the negotiation part is already finalized,” Suansing mentioned.
Criticisms
Suansing and different Home leaders have insisted that they can not zero out unprogrammed funds as a result of the Philippines will threat reneging on its worldwide commitments.
They are saying FAPs below UA are there as a result of the initiatives didn’t make it to the deadline throughout finances preparation. These initiatives couldn’t be a part of the programmed appropriations as a result of they didn’t meet sure standards, comparable to a finalized contract with a bilateral associate offering international help, and a NEDA board approval.
However for the Individuals’s Finances Coalition (PBC), one of many civil society teams accredited by the Home in the course of the 2026 finances cycle, the Home’s argument doesn’t maintain water.
“Previous to 2022, the variety of foreign-assisted initiatives within the UA was not that prime. So, it truly is a current phenomenon that coincides with the problem of congressional insertions,” mentioned AJ Montesa of PBC.
“The planning part for foreign-assisted loans and initiatives is lengthy,” he added. “It’s not possible that the federal government can have [any] unexpected foreign-assisted mortgage or undertaking. In actual fact, it should solely worsen the state of affairs as a result of there’s the chance that the undertaking received’t be funded if it’s below UA.”
The Structure says Congress can reallocate gadgets within the finances, however not exceed the utmost quantity set by the Nationwide Expenditure Program. Some finances consultants consider programmed funds are being transferred to unprogrammeed appropriations to avoid this constitutional ceiling.
“Unprogrammed appropriations turn out to be a conduit for the insertions. So, it’s parked right here…for instance, PhilHealth and social applications will likely be minimize from the programmed finances after which they are going to use that cash to accommodate the insertions, their pork,” Montesa mentioned.
A possible conflict
The Home is predicted to conflict with the Senate, whose leaders have indicated they wish to take away unprogrammed appropriations for 2026.
Suansing has mentioned she is open to discussions on slashing the whole for UA for the upcoming fiscal 12 months.
Any variations between the Home GAB and the Senate GAB — which the higher chamber has but to go — will likely be ironed out within the bicameral convention committee, which will likely be streamed to the general public this 12 months.
That’s amid allegations that secret insertions and last-minute amendments had been made within the 2025 finances in the course of the bicameral part final 12 months. – Rappler.com
