Duterte submits P3.757 trillion cash-based budget to Congress
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, July 23, endorsed to Congres his proposed P3.757trillion cash-based national budget for 2019 on the day of his third State of the Nation Addres (Sona).
Duterte submitted his budget proposal for next year the same day he delivered his third State of the Nation Address at Batasan Complex in Quezon City, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said in a text message.
The proposed P3.757-trillion obligations next year is the Duterte administration's first cash-based budget, in a bid to allow government offices to deliver more efficient delivery of public services.
The proposed 2019 budget is slightly lower from the obligationbased national budget this year, which amounted to P3.767 trillion.
Diokno earlier said the shift to cash-based budgeting will hasten the implementation and completion of the government's priority projects.
The transition to an annual cash-based system is part of the budget reform program of the Department of Budget and Management, which aims to accelerate spending for development priorities like public infrastructure and human capital development.
This year's priorities of the Duterte government remain to be infrastructure and social services.
In terms of sector, social services will get the biggest chunk, amounting to P1.366 trillion, or 36.7 percent of the entire budgetary allocation.
A budget of P1.068 trillion, 28.4 percent of the proposed budget, will be allotted for economic services.
The general public services sector will receive P709.1 billion, while the defense sector will get P188.2 billion, 18.9 percent and five percent of the proposed budget, respectively.
Budget for debt servicing will be at P414.1 billion, or 11 percent of the proposed budget for next year. (Ruth Abbey Gita/ SunStar Philippines)
"Precise and concise. A lot better than a two-hour speech na kung anu-ano ang laman," said Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
Senator Grace Poe said the same. "Yung pinakamaganda dito ay maikli yung talumpati ni Pangulo. Talagang direct to the point."
Poe also praised the state's leader for not attacking any person in his speech, unlike in his past two Sonas.
Senator Sonny Angara said Duterte's speech is comprehensive. "Maganda naman siya, comprehensive naman siya."
"Masaya naman ako na maikli lang," said Senator Ralph Recto.
Recto however said that Duterte has failed to address the inflation and the other issues on economy.
For opposition lawmaker Tom Villarin, Duterte's speech lack depth, political will and passion for what is the truth.
"It was a ho-hum speech with nothing new but surprisingly, evaded attacking the opposition. His reading improved but it lacks depth and passion for what is the truth," he said.
"Again his promises to end contractualization, give the coco levy trust fund to farmers, and other basic sector issues are good soundbytes but lacks political will. He totally skirted the state of our economy, inflation, unemployment and rising debts," he added.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said Duterte has failed to address in his third Sona the change he has promised the people during the presidential campaign.
"President Duterte did not address the reforms which the people want, but instead concentrated on the so-called reforms he himself wants to pursue and implement," he said.
"The people do not clamor for a shift to federalism because the overwhelming majority of them are unaware of federalism, do not care to know about the federal system or do not understand what federalism is all about but going federal is high in the President’s agenda," said Lagman.
He said that while the people want the President to reform his unpatriotic response to China’s incursion on and militarization in the West Philippine Sea, the President insists on his unpopular stance deferring to China’s expansionism in the West Philippine Sea.
He added: "The people want economic reforms to arrest poverty. Yet the President insists on the full implementation of the Train Law which has triggered the rise of inflation to 6.1% on food and nonalcoholic beverages, thus exacerbating food poverty, further reducing the people’s purchasing power, and decreasing the value of real wages."
Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said Duterte has failed to speak about the administration's accomplishments in the past two years.
Alejano also slammed Duterte's pronouncements on Train law.
"Ang Train Law na ayon sa kanya ay nagpabuti umano ng buhay