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NewsTranscript
00:00Almost Php 200 billion worth of projects were vetoed in the 2025 national budget of President Bambang Marcos.
00:08But the controversial fund remains for the support or aid for the Kaposangkita.
00:14Witness, Ivan Myrina.
00:21The 2025 General Appropriations Act or reduced budget for the next year,
00:27Php 6.326 trillion,
00:29Php 26 billion less than the approved budget of the Bicameral Committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
00:34The President did not approve the Php 26 billion worth of projects under the DPWH,
00:41which was added by the Congress in their version,
00:44as well as Php 168 billion worth of unprogrammed appropriations.
00:48After an exhaustive and thorough review,
00:51we have directly vetoed over Php 194 billion worth of the line items that are not consistent with our program priorities.
00:59These include allocations for certain programs and projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways
01:05and those under the unprogrammed appropriations which increased by 300 percent.
01:12In the approval of the DPWH fund,
01:14it is now clear that the allocation of the fund for the education sector is the largest according to Palacio.
01:21This is one of the issues in the Bicam's budget,
01:25which is contrary to the Constitution which says that the budget for education should be the largest.
01:31According to the 6.326 trillion budget,
01:341.055 trillion or 16.69 percent is for education
01:40including the funds of CHED, TESDA, state universities and colleges,
01:44and the rest of the funds are for the high wages of teachers and the construction of classrooms.
01:49There is an excess of more than Php 10 billion for the computerization program of the DepEd,
01:53and it has not been returned.
01:55But according to the DBM, this is one of the priorities in the allocation of the fund under the unprogrammed appropriations.
02:01As long as we have additional revenue from the DOF,
02:05we can actually augment or increase the budget of DepEd,
02:10specifically for computerization.
02:121.007 trillion or 15.93 percent is the final budget for the DPWH.
02:18The projects that have been vetoed are actually some of the projects that we considered
02:25that are not totally supportive to the eight-point socioeconomic agenda of the government,
02:33of this administration.
02:35And besides, I think many of these projects are projects that need to be scrutinized
02:42and ready for implementation.
02:47These are some of the projects that are not ready for implementation.
02:50It was not vetoed, but the conditions for the issuance of the fund
02:54for the controversial fund of ACAP,
02:56or Ayuda para sa Kaposangkita,
02:58is included in the DSWD, DOLE and NEDA,
03:01which is estimated to be 26 billion pesos.
03:03I am mentioning this because the aid should not go to the Congress
03:07and their pork barrel can only be used.
03:10Who will really receive this ACAP?
03:13The services should be increased in salary,
03:18instead of them saying that the workers will receive additional aid.
03:22We can check that.
03:23Those people who notice that, they can complain.
03:27And then we will go to investigate.
03:30You know, our law presumes good faith in everyone.
03:37All actions in good faith.
03:39If you have bad faith, that's when you come now,
03:42your media or the people who are aggrieved.
03:45Aside from ACAP, there are 11 other projects that will be vetoed.
03:49The zero subsidy in PhilHealth,
03:51which is also one of the projects in the budget of BICAM,
03:54will not be returned and will remain zero.
03:56But there is nothing to worry about,
03:58because PhilHealth's services will not only continue,
04:00but it will be expanded
04:02in spite of the zero subsidy of the government.
04:04Congress did that,
04:06because the budget for the corporate operating budget of PhilHealth is sufficient.
04:13So they have reserved funds of roughly 280 billion.
04:18We in the Department of Finance next year,
04:20we will focus on PhilHealth.
04:22We will make sure that we spend that budget better.
04:28Maybe we should concentrate on the top 10 illnesses.
04:30I don't think you have to increase 9,000 case rates.
04:33The budget of the Office of the President includes 5.2 billion pesos.
04:37But it was reserved for the start of preparations
04:40for the hosting of the ASEAN Summit of the Philippines in 2026.
04:44The budget was delayed due to the protest.
04:47According to the BAYAN BLAK,
04:48they should have reserved the whole budget.
04:50That's a coquinism.
04:51Let's transfer it here.
04:52Let's transfer it here.
04:53Let's add it here,
04:54so that the people won't be exasperated.
04:56If you just reserve a few line items,
04:58what you need is a refund.
05:00It should have been done,
05:01it should have been returned to the Congress
05:03so that the funds for public services can be added,
05:06and not for patronage, politics, and pork barrel.
05:10The palace is confident in the budget worked by the President.
05:14But he admitted that the protests here will not be stopped.
05:17We are confident, but we cannot prevent.
05:20If there will be challenges that will be mounted by any quarter,
05:26who might still find this present budget as approved,
05:30worthy of the challenge.
05:32Said Senate President Chase Escudero,
05:34although it will take a long time,
05:36it is important to sign the 2025 GAA before the year ends
05:41so that there won't be a re-enacted budget.
05:43Now that the budget is approved,
05:45the government's programs should be implemented.
05:48According to House Speaker Martin Romualdez,
05:50the President's and the Congress' commitment to improve the lives of Filipinos
05:53is based on the budget.
05:56For GMA Integrated News, I'm Jose Ivan Meirina, your witness.
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