Malacañang promises to release funds for NCIP operations

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora is working out the release of the operational funds of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) whose budget has been frozen since September 1998.

Meanwhile, Rosalinda Lopez-Bistoyong, NCIP director for Central Luzon, clarified yesterday that she is not blaming Malacañang for the freezing of the NCIP’s national budget, which has affected the agency’s programs and projects for indigenous communities.

"This year alone, President Estrada led the distribution of scholarship funds amounting to P500,000 for Aetas in the Pampanga district of Rep. Zenaida Ducut," Bistoyong said following reports that the freezing of NCIP’s budget stemmed from Malacañang’s move to oust an appointee of former President Ramos as NCIP executive director.

"I have no intention whatsoever to blame the President on NCIP issues, especially at the height of the political crisis in our country today," Bistoyong said.

But she admitted that the President’s scholarship program for indigenous communities, dubbed "Edukasyong Handog ni Erap para sa Mahihirap" or EHEM, has not been fully carried out in Central Luzon.

"But the lack of scholarship funds cannot be blamed on Palace officials," she said. "The funds for this project come from the congressional allocation of House members."

In Central Luzon, Bistoyong said only Ducut of Pampanga’s second district, Rep. Enrique Garcia of the first district of Nueva Ecija and Rep. James Gordon of the first district of Zambales were able to provide EHEM funds this year.

Bistoyong said Zamora has assured House members that he would look into the case of the frozen NCIP funds for the benefit of indigenous people whom she described as the "most deprived sector of Philippine society."

She also clarified that the number of indigenous people affected by lack of scholarship funds are limited only to areas where their respective congressmen have failed to allocate scholarship funds this year.

She said the NCIP ordinarily allocates P1,000 for each elementary pupil, P2,500 for each high school student, and P10,000 for each college student yearly under EHEM.

"Malacañang has agreed to release the needed funds subject to the submission of project proposals and list of payable accounts in recent years," she added. — Ding Cervantes