Senator Pia S. Cayetano's Opening Statement
Senate Budget Hearing for NCCA, NLP, NHCP, NAP, CCP, CFL, and DAP

I call this hearing to order. This is the Subcommittee of the Committee on Finance. In our agenda today are the proposed budget under the fiscal year 2021 NEP of the following:

Development Academy of the Philippines for P402,214,000; and our cultural agencies: NCCA, P27,334,000; NHCP, P213,256,000; National Library of the Philippines, P153,030,000; National Archives of the Philippines, P165,308,000; Commission on the Filipino Language, P72,999,000; and Cultural Center of the Philippines, P327,298,000.

My dear colleagues, as you know, I also chair the Committee on SDGs, Innovation, and Futures Thinking. And culture is really known to be an enabler and driver of the economic, social, and environmental dimension of sustainable development. And that is why I am happy to have you here to join me in discussing their budget.

We also hope to have [inaudible] to move our policy framework for all possible futures through innovation and futures thinking.

I would like to start with DAP, because DAP is the only flower among the thorns, not being a cultural agency. And after that, we will proceed with all the cultural agencies...

Note: Please see attached file for a complete copy of the Guest List.