SPEAKER Martin G. Romualdez on Sunday expressed confidence that the Senate contingent to the bicameral conference committee on the proposed P5.268-trillion 2023 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) will agree to the P77 billion institutional amendments by the House to augment the budget for education, health, transportation and other critical social services.

“We really feel that these institutional amendments will redound to the benefit of the people. Hinding-hindi tayo magkakamali kung ang kapakanan ng mamamayan ang ating uunahin,” Romualdez said.

“And we are confident that the Senate and the House bicam members will see eye-to-eye on this. Our objectives are the same: to pass a people’s budget that reflects President Marcos Jr.’s 8-point economic agenda that will help the country bounce back from the pandemic,” he added.

House Appropriations Committee chairman and Ako Bikol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co echoed the Speaker’s statements, saying the House prioritized the welfare of the people when it included the P77.billion institutional amendments.

“Our amendments can speak for themselves. You can see that is indeed pro-people and pro-development as we prioritized health, education and transportation. We are confident that if the Senate and the House approve these amendments, we can recover well from the pandemic in 2023,” Co said.

Carefully crafted by the House, the institutional amendments are “ayuda” programs that will directly benefit the people, such as Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) P12.5 billion broken down into: Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations or AICS (P5B); upgrade of senior citizens’ pension through the National Commission of Senior Citizens (P5B); and Sustainable Livelihood Program (P2.5B).

Co also cited Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) P5.5-billion for programs addressing the rising cost of fuel like the fuel subsidy program (P2.5B), Libreng Sakay (P2B) and bike lane construction (P1B) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE’s) P5 billion for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program (P3B) and livelihood (P2B) are also part of the direct benefit to the people.

Other parts of the P77-billion institutional amendments are as follows:

• Department of Health’s (DoH) P20.25 billion allotted for various programs such as Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (P13B), healthcare and non-healthcare workers and frontliners (P5B); support for specialty hospitals (P2B); and Cancer Assistance Program (P250M).

• Department of Education’s (DepEd) P10 billion for the school and classroom construction and special education programs (P50M).

• Technical Education Skills and Development Authority’s (TESDA) P5 billion for the training and scholarship programs.

• Comission on Higher Education’s (CHED) P5 billion for its Tulong Dunong Program.

• Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) P10 billion for the construction of water systems in underserved upland barangays;

• Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) P1.5 billion for the national broadband project.

• Commission on Elections’ (COMELEC) P500-million for its new building.

• Philippine National Police’s (PNP) P300 million to train law enforcement officers in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ).

• Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) P250 million to assist the creative industry pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No. 11904.

• Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) P150 million.

• Office of Solicitor General’s (OSG) P147 million.

• National Electrification Administration’s (NEA) P50 million for the barangay and sitio electrification program.

“What we did was allocate more budget to pro-people programs without need to sacrifice our national programs and projects for job creation. We are confident that there will be no contentions with our amendments here,” Co said.