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Worrisome DOST budget cuts: Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon expresses concern over the reduction made by Malacañang and the House of Representatives in the proposed 2022 budget of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and its attached agencies. In his interpellation during the hybrid marathon session Monday, November 15, 2021, Drilon asked why the DOST budget was reduced by P1.12 billion from P24.916 billion in 2021 to P23.793 billion for next year. He said the reductions were from agencies involved in research and development. “This is a little bit worrisome. I would like to suggest to the good vice chairman of the finance committee to give this a good review and if merited, we should restore it (budget). We appeal to our colleagues to take a good look at the budget of this whole agency,” Drilon said, adding that the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) has a budget of P30 billion which is higher than what was allotted to DOST. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)