Quezon City, Philippines-The International Center for Innovation, Transformation, and Excellence in Governance (INCITEGov), represented by former senior government officials and crossover leaders, has issued an open letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Philippine legislators, expressing profound concerns regarding the proposed 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
"While we commend President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s good intentions for the 2025 GAA, we are deeply troubled by the gross misallocations in the final version of the budget as approved by Congress. We are concerned that line-item vetos will not be enough to rectify the problematic priorities embedded in next year's budget," the letter stated.
Specifically, INCITEGov identified the following concerns:
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Misallocations in vital sectors: INCITEGov urged the President and legislators to restore funds unjustly removed from essential sectors such as health, education, agriculture, social protection, transportation, and climate change adaptability. These services are crucial for the welfare of the most vulnerable citizens and the nation's well-being.
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Unprogrammed Appropriations and Pork Barrel Items: The letter calls for a meticulous examination of unprogrammed appropriations and the elimination of pork barrel items from the proposed budget. INCITEGov highlights that several key infrastructure projects, including those listed in Build Better More, are inexplicably found in the unprogrammed appropriations, leading to potential delays and inefficiencies. Meanwhile, substantial allocations for several infrastructure items (specifically in the Department of Public Works and Highways) that are unmistakably pork barrel in nature have been prioritized at the expense of critical essential services.
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Lack of checks and balance: INCITEGov expresses grave concerns about the budget crafting process, which appears to have violated constitutional principles of checks and balance. The bicameral conference committee's decisions on budget insertions and allocations were made with limited scrutiny, bypassing the thorough review essential for such significant legislation.
INCITEGov echoed the calls from various sectors to align the national budget with the Marcos administration's 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda and the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, encompassing food security, healthcare, education, job creation, poverty reduction, affordable and clean energy, and infrastructure development.
"We comprehend the complexities and challenges of crafting the annual budget of the national government. Nonetheless, we firmly believe that prioritizing the welfare of our citizens and upholding the integrity of our budgetary process are essential and non-negotiable," INCITEGov stressed. ?