Stop budget thievery by Congress

Over the last three years, Congress reduced the budgets for badly needed infrastructure and social services originally proposed by the BBM administration, to fund Congressional pork barrel projects to the tune of over a trillion pesos.

There were unprecedented huge cuts and diversions in the first three budgets of BBM. Congress offered no explanations for mangling the budgets proposed by BBM with big cuts and diversions. BBM also didn’t say a word until PhilHealth and DepEd budget issues became running headline news stories.

In specific terms, the first three BBM budget proposals suffered deep cuts: In the 2023 GAA, P219 billion was cut; in the 2024 GAA, P449.5 billion was cut; in the 2025 GAA, P373.0 billion was cut, translating to total cuts of P1,041.6 trillion less veto of P26 billion, resulting in a net cut of P1,015.6 trillion.

What justified the huge budget cuts and realignment? Where were the funds used? Difficult to answer: Only a select group of House and Senate officials, called the bicameral conference committee (bicam), decided on amendments and finalized the GAA.  There were no public discussions. No minutes nor records of bicam proceedings. Absolutely no transparency.

Nevertheless, a sampling of where the cuts were inflicted should be worrisome because of the negative impact on the nation’s economic development.

In 2024, a significant cut of P157.8 billion was made on required counterpart funding for foreign assisted projects of the DOTr, essentially, the big-ticket rail projects we badly need.

PhilHealth suffered a P40-billion cut and the AFP modernization budget was cut by P10 billion. There are others including a P10 billion cut in the budget of the NDRRMC of P10 billion which undermines its ability to respond to calamities.

Where were the slashed funds diverted? A sampling of where funds went: flood control P28.9 billion (now P245 billion); DPWH P174.6 billion; House of Representatives P12 billion (to P28.7 billion); Senate P10 billion; ayuda P26.7 billion (from zero); AICS P9 billion (to P28.9 billion).

It should blow our minds that flood control is bigger than the budgets of the Departments of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform combined. Flood control is the biggest component of the DPWH budget. Yet, as we all know, floods haven’t been controlled. Instead, our money is probably flooding the bank accounts of our politicians.

For the GAA this year, 2025, a total of P347 billion in cuts were made: The already insufficient agriculture budget was cut by P22.4 billion.

DepEd, with its extremely important mission to lift the math and reading proficiency scores of millions of our youth, suffered a P12-billion cut.

The DOH budget was cut by P25.8 billion, diminishing further its ability to address our health needs. PhilHealth’s P74.4 billion budget was totally cut.

AFP Modernization budget was cut by P5 billion. There are others.

Where did the cut funds go? First on the list of beneficiaries of the funds diversion is the House of Representatives with P17.3 billion (to P33.4 billion); OP P5 billion; Senate P1 billion; AKAP P26 billion (from zero); AICS P9.5 billion (P44.7 billion); MAIFIP P14.3 billion (P41.2 billion); TUPAD P3.4 billion (P18.3 billion).

The big problem with these massive budget cuts and realignments is that national priorities for development have been set aside.

We see a clear movement away from investing in strategic transport, infrastructure, agricultural productivity, to graft-prone projects like flood control and drainage systems and hyper-micro local projects, like local roads, bridges and multi-purpose halls.

There is no long-term payback on dole outs, making the increased borrowings to cover these allocations unsustainable.

There is no question that the poor must be helped. But our legislators are moving away from programs for empowerment, self-reliance and community engagement, like 4Ps, PhilHealth and health facilities enhancement.

Instead, Congress is spending big money on ayuda cash dole-outs, like AKAP, AICS, MAIFIP and TUPAD.

The participation of legislators in identifying the beneficiaries and in distributing the cash doleouts of ayuda beneficiaries and in issuing guarantee letters to hospitals under the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) reminds us of PDAF.

Recall that in a landmark decision, the Supreme Court nullified PDAF as unconstitutional “for the post-enactment, non-oversight intervention of legislators in budget execution,” the exclusive domain of the Executive. The High Court should realize that PDAF and all the new alphabet soup programs favored by our legislators are one and the same.

It’s also disgusting that social services are being used to establish a debt of gratitude to politicians when it should be treated as a matter of right. Taking budgets from social service agencies to fund cash doleouts and their control and distribution by politicians lead to a relationship of dependency which deepens the culture of patronage, the very conditions that perpetuate poverty and political dynasties.

To put things bluntly, our senators and congressmen are enriching themselves and enhancing their political careers at the expense of taxpayers.

A big hindrance to attracting foreign investments is inadequate infrastructure.

Yet, Congress chose to de-prioritize the strategic projects of DOTr from programmed to unprogrammed appropriations like MRT Line 4 Project; Davao Public Transport Modernization Project; North-South Commuter Railway System; EDSA Greenways Project; Cebu Bus Rapid Transit Project; Metro Manila Subway Project; PNR South Long-Haul Project.

Strategic projects were de-prioritized to free up fiscal space for funding pork barrel instead. If we continue with this bad prioritization of resources, we will have no funds to economically advance our country. We are doomed to eat the dust of our fast-moving neighbors in the region.

BBM can say that the budget proposal he sent Congress adhered to accepted principles in setting budget priorities and it was Congress that made a mess of it. But his silence on the congressional abuse and his token veto of some minor items makes him complicit to the crime of pillaging the Treasury by his political allies in Congress.

BBM has three years left to shape up or miss the opportunity to redeem his family’s name.

Boo Chanco’s email address is bchanco@gmail.com . Follow him on X @boochanco

Stop budget thievery by Congress

Demand and Supply

Over the last three years, Congress reduced the budgets for badly needed infrastructure and social services originally proposed by the BBM administration, to fund Congressional pork barrel projects to the tune of over a trillion pesos.

There were unprecedented huge cuts and diversions in the first three budgets of BBM. Congress offered no explanations for mangling the budgets proposed by BBM with big cuts and diversions. BBM also didn’t say a word until PhilHealth and DepEd budget issues became running headline news stories.

In specific terms, the first three BBM budget proposals suffered deep cuts: In the 2023 GAA, P219 billion was cut; in the 2024 GAA, P449.5 billion was cut; in the 2025 GAA, P373.0 billion was cut, translating to total cuts of P1,041.6 trillion less veto of P26 billion, resulting in a net cut of P1,015.6 trillion.

What justified the huge budget cuts and realignment? Where were the funds used? Difficult to answer: Only a select group of House and Senate officials, called the bicameral conference committee (bicam), decided on amendments and finalized the GAA.  There were no public discussions. No minutes nor records of bicam proceedings. Absolutely no transparency.

Nevertheless, a sampling of where the cuts were inflicted should be worrisome because of the negative impact on the nation’s economic development.

In 2024, a significant cut of P157.8 billion was made on required counterpart funding for foreign assisted projects of the DOTr, essentially, the big-ticket rail projects we badly need.

PhilHealth suffered a P40-billion cut and the AFP modernization budget was cut by P10 billion. There are others including a P10 billion cut in the budget of the NDRRMC of P10 billion which undermines its ability to respond to calamities.

Where were the slashed funds diverted? A sampling of where funds went: flood control P28.9 billion (now P245 billion); DPWH P174.6 billion; House of Representatives P12 billion (to P28.7 billion); Senate P10 billion; ayuda P26.7 billion (from zero); AICS P9 billion (to P28.9 billion).

It should blow our minds that flood control is bigger than the budgets of the Departments of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform combined. Flood control is the biggest component of the DPWH budget. Yet, as we all know, floods haven’t been controlled. Instead, our money is probably flooding the bank accounts of our politicians.

For the GAA this year, 2025, a total of P347 billion in cuts were made: The already insufficient agriculture budget was cut by P22.4 billion.

DepEd, with its extremely important mission to lift the math and reading proficiency scores of millions of our youth, suffered a P12-billion cut.

The DOH budget was cut by P25.8 billion, diminishing further its ability to address our health needs. PhilHealth’s P74.4 billion budget was totally cut.

AFP Modernization budget was cut by P5 billion. There are others.

Where did the cut funds go? First on the list of beneficiaries of the funds diversion is the House of Representatives with P17.3 billion (to P33.4 billion); OP P5 billion; Senate P1 billion; AKAP P26 billion (from zero); AICS P9.5 billion (P44.7 billion); MAIFIP P14.3 billion (P41.2 billion); TUPAD P3.4 billion (P18.3 billion).

The big problem with these massive budget cuts and realignments is that national priorities for development have been set aside.

We see a clear movement away from investing in strategic transport, infrastructure, agricultural productivity, to graft-prone projects like flood control and drainage systems and hyper-micro local projects, like local roads, bridges and multi-purpose halls.

There is no long-term payback on dole outs, making the increased borrowings to cover these allocations unsustainable.

There is no question that the poor must be helped. But our legislators are moving away from programs for empowerment, self-reliance and community engagement, like 4Ps, PhilHealth and health facilities enhancement.

Instead, Congress is spending big money on ayuda cash dole-outs, like AKAP, AICS, MAIFIP and TUPAD.

The participation of legislators in identifying the beneficiaries and in distributing the cash doleouts of ayuda beneficiaries and in issuing guarantee letters to hospitals under the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) reminds us of PDAF.

Recall that in a landmark decision, the Supreme Court nullified PDAF as unconstitutional “for the post-enactment, non-oversight intervention of legislators in budget execution,” the exclusive domain of the Executive. The High Court should realize that PDAF and all the new alphabet soup programs favored by our legislators are one and the same.

It’s also disgusting that social services are being used to establish a debt of gratitude to politicians when it should be treated as a matter of right. Taking budgets from social service agencies to fund cash doleouts and their control and distribution by politicians lead to a relationship of dependency which deepens the culture of patronage, the very conditions that perpetuate poverty and political dynasties.

To put things bluntly, our senators and congressmen are enriching themselves and enhancing their political careers at the expense of taxpayers.

A big hindrance to attracting foreign investments is inadequate infrastructure.

Yet, Congress chose to de-prioritize the strategic projects of DOTr from programmed to unprogrammed appropriations like MRT Line 4 Project; Davao Public Transport Modernization Project; North-South Commuter Railway System; EDSA Greenways Project; Cebu Bus Rapid Transit Project; Metro Manila Subway Project; PNR South Long-Haul Project.

Strategic projects were de-prioritized to free up fiscal space for funding pork barrel instead. If we continue with this bad prioritization of resources, we will have no funds to economically advance our country. We are doomed to eat the dust of our fast-moving neighbors in the region.

BBM can say that the budget proposal he sent Congress adhered to accepted principles in setting budget priorities and it was Congress that made a mess of it. But his silence on the congressional abuse and his token veto of some minor items makes him complicit to the crime of pillaging the Treasury by his political allies in Congress.

BBM has three years left to shape up or miss the opportunity to redeem his family’s name.

Boo Chanco’s email address is bchanco@gmail.com . Follow him on X @boochanco.