Office of Minority Leader Edcel C. Lagman
15 August 2010
0918-9120137 / 0916-6406737


          President Benigno Aquino III should consider submitting to the Congress a supplemental National Expenditure Program (NEP) to provide additional budgets to inadequate and inexistent allocations for government agencies and mandated expenditures.

          The on-going review by the Committee on Appropriations of the President’s budget proposal for 2011 has revealed significant budgetary lapses like the following, among others:

          1.   The budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs which was cut by almost 40% including the legal support for OFWs which was slashed from P100-M to P27-M in violation of the newly amended Migrant Workers Act.

          2.   The allocations for the Supreme Court and the Judiciary which were reduced by nearly 50% from the original submission.

          3.   The zero allocation for capital outlay for State Universities and Colleges.

          4.   The zero allocation for barangay and sitio electrification in the budget of National Electrification Administration.

          5.   The inadequate funding support services to agrarian reform beneficiaries in violation of RA No. 9700 or the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law on land acquisition and distribution with more reforms.

          Since the Constitution prohibits the Congress from increasing the totality of the President’s budget submission of P1.6 billion, the possible solution is for the President to increase the expenditure ceiling through a supplemental NEP.

          This may require the Executive to increase the projected deficit which is not sacrosanct and/or look for additional revenues and sources of financing which should be flexible and not cast in stone.