CIF eyed for AICS, TUPAD programs

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives plans to utilize P2 billion from the proposed 2025 confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) to finance key programs of the Marcos administration.

“It gives us more elbow room to provide those funds for other purposes, like job creation, additional financial assistance and many more,” Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe said, noting that the 2025 CIF in the National Expenditure Program is P2 billion lower than this year’s.

The proposed CIF allocation for 2025 is P10.29 billion, or 16 percent lower than the earmarked P12.3 billion this year under the General Appropriations Act.

Of the amount, P4.37 billion are confidential funds and P5.92 are intelligence funds.

“That is welcome news for us – that we may add it to other government programs, specifically cash aid,” Dalipe said, vowing to divert the funds to the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program and the Tulong Pang­hanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.

The AICS is a Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) program while TUPAD is a cash-for-work program of the Department of Labor and Employment.

The Department of Budget and Management on Monday turned over the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025 to the House, with the P1.035-trillion allocation for local government units topping the spending priorities.

DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman told reporters that as a matter of policy, the Marcos administration will no longer allocate CIF to civilian government agencies in the proposed 2025 budget.

Only military and law enforcement agencies will be given CIFs.

In the 2024 budget, Congress realigned the CIF of the Office of the Vice President and other civilian agencies toward maritime security.

Meanwhile, House committees will have “parallel hearings” once budget deliberations begin.

“Upon the instruction of Speaker Martin Romualdez, important hearings should not stop,” Dalipe said.

House panels are conducting inquiries into Philippine offshore gaming operators, extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration and the 2023 seizure of illegal drugs worth P3 billion in Pampanga, among others.

“We will now have more or less parallel hearings – one is for the budget and the other one is on the ongoing hearings that are also very important. These will not stop this year because the House leadership views this as very important,” Dalipe said.