THE House of Representatives is planning to pass a P23.3-billion supplemental budget before the year ends to continue all the projects halted by the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., in an interview, said the supplemental budget will also fund infrastructure projects for post-Yolanda rehabilitation and preparations for the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.
“We had a brief meeting [with Budget Secretary Florencio Abad about the supplemental budget]. We expect to file it by next week,” Belmonte said.
“Some of the DAP projects were only completed but has not been paid yet. That’s among those that are included. Some of them are about to be completed when the Supreme Court prohibits the [use of PDAF and DAP]. I think we should complete that,” he said.
Under the Department of Budget and Management-proposed P23.3- billion supplemental budget, P5.08 billion will be allocated for previously approved projects, but were stopped due to SC rulings against the PDAF and DAP.
The DBM said that P1.85 billion will be spent for infrastructure projects being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways.
It said that other parts of the supplemental budget will be used to fund Yolanda reconstruction efforts and government preparations for the 2015 Apec summit.
According to Abad, “The funds will account for the budgetary requirements of priority projects that were partially implemented or previously approved for implementation this year.”
“Most of these projects have already been completed, are ongoing, or are urgently needed to sustain our socioeconomic development. The passage of the proposed supplemental budget will allow us to allocate funds accordingly so we can complete these projects right away,” Abad added.
Moreover, Belmonte assured the public that the passage of the supplemental budget will go under thorough scrutiny and deliberation of a House committee.
Earlier, House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna criticized the supplemental budget proposal, fearing it may just be used for the campaigns of administration politicians in the 2016 elections.