2002 budget: P200 M in ‘pork’ for a senator; P65 M for a solon

There is more "pork" for senators and congressmen this year than last year.

In the P780-billion 2002 budget that President Arroyo is scheduled to sign today, there is more than P19 billion in pork barrel funds that members of the two chambers of Congress will share.

Each senator will get P200 million worth of projects, while each congressman will receive P65 million for his district.

The total for all 24 senators is P4.8 billion, while funds for a minimum of 220 House members will amount to P14.3 billion.

The amount each senator will get this year is double that which they received in October when they were issued P100 million worth of SAROs (special allotment release orders) by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Congressmen each received P50 million worth of SAROs that month.

President Arroyo is not expected to veto pork barrel appropriations since they were included in the budget with the consent of the Office of the President and DBM.

Congressional leaders led by Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and Senate President Franklin Drilon have been invited to the budget signing ceremonies in Malacañang this morning.

Also invited were key members of the House appropriations committee, which is chaired by Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. (Lakas, Camarines Sur), and the Senate finance committee.

Andaya said yesterday there is money in the budget for more roads, soldiers, policemen, and members of the Citizens Armed Force Geographical Units.

He said the budget can serve as the government’s principal tool for development provided funds are released on time and spent wisely.

He said there is only a small portion of the outlay that can be devoted for development projects since the bulk of it is eaten up by salaries and debt service.

Funds for loan interest payments alone would amount to P204.3 billion, while principal payments would total P155.6 billion, he said.

More than P250 billion is allocated for salaries and P139.4 billion will go to local government units as their share from internal revenues, he added.

Clearly, the balance of the P780 billion budget would have to be used wisely so that government spending can help propel the economy, Andaya stressed.

In terms of agency allocation, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports will get the biggest budget of P95.3 billion, plus P2 billion for school buildings.

It is followed by the Department of National Defense (including the Armed Forces), P60.2 billion; Department of Public Works and Highways, P48 billion; Department of the Interior and Local Government (including the Philippine National Police), P45.3 billion;

Department of Transportation and Communications, P12 billion; Department of Health, P11.5 billion; Department of Environment and Natural Resources, P6.5 billion; Department of Agriculture, P4.2 billion; Department of Labor and Employment, P4.8 billion; Congress, P4.2 billion; and Office of the President, P3.2 billion.

Additionally, the Department of Agriculture will receive P19.5 billion for the agricultural modernization program, while the Department of National Defense will get an additional P5 billion for the modernization of the Armed Forces.

Before the end of last year, Congress had worked overtime to approve this year’s budget so the President could sign it into law this month.

De Venecia had told his colleagues he did not want a repeat of 2001 when the government had to operate on the basis of the reenacted 2000 budget because the past Congress had failed to approve the annual spending bill.

The opposition had planned to question before the Supreme Court the "railroading" of the approval of the 2002 appropriations bill but later abandoned such plan.

Minority Leader Carlos Padilla (LDP, Nueva Vizcaya) said it was in the interest of their districts and the nation in general that the spending measure be in place this month.

"We in the opposition do not want to beg for funds for our constituents from Malacañang," he said.

He said such funds are appropriated in the budget and all they have to do is follow up or wait for the release of the money.