GRACE POE's TRANSCRIPT PORTIONS ON BUDGET
ANC Headstart w/ Karen Davila
Dec. 8, 2020

Davila: Now moving on to the 2021 budget, your advocacy essentially, just recently you made sure that displaced PUV drivers would have P5 billion in subsidy and that went to LTFRB, I believe. But for the DOTr, you yourself said "we trimmed the fat," and you cut down the budget to P109 billion. What can essentially, other than drivers, the transport sector expect in 2021 given that no less than the IMF said that the Philippines might be the worst-performing economy for the year?

Poe: The reason why we trimmed the budget of the DOTr is it has had a track record of having difficulty utilizing or absorbing their budget and actually spending it. So, there were some--actually from the National Expenditure Program--they have about P143 billion; we trimmed it down to about P94 billion. That's how much we took out. And the reason is most of those projects that they lodged in the DOTr was for rail. And seeing the face of what they needed for that, and the demand on other things, like COVID response, we thought that the DOTr won't be able to spend it anyway next year. All of that, so we moved it. In fact, for the vaccines, we have about P83 billion now. It started with much less but we made sure that there was an allotment for procuring vaccines from the DOH and some unprogrammed funds.

Davila: So, Senator, just to clarify, how much is allotted for vaccine purchase in the Senate version now? The latest number?

Poe: P83 billion. So there's quite a bit. Of course we still need more but there's P83 billion allotted for that. And then we also added for contact tracers. We put more, let's say, for PCR testing and then P3 billion for PPEs, P4.5 billion for increasing hospital capacity. And then P13.5 billion for risk allowance of health workers. So, you know, if we take it out from one department, it's realigned because of the situation we're in, which is COVID. And we need those frontliners, we need the response, we need the vaccine, we need the testing, and the PPEs, etc.

Davila: That's quite amazing that the Senate was able to increase COVID vaccine purchase in your budget to P83 billion, considering, I think, from the House parang that was, am I right, was it P8 billion when it arrived in the Senate?

Poe: I think it was a lot less than that.

Davila: Yes, P5.5.

Poe: Definitely it was less than what we put in. But that's how it is in the budget, of course when they submitted to us, there's a refinement as you will. We have a national accountability. I understand the situation of congressmen, they have to answer to their district. So when it comes back to us and we see, we also have to look at the national picture.

...

Poe: Now, for the DepEd... there's a focus on the current need which is connectivity. There's support for that, allowance for teachers for internet connection. There's also an allowance through the DICT for Tech4ED programs. And then also to upgrade the IT infrastructure of the schools. So, there's been a realignment, not just in the amount, but also in which particular projects within the department that will be given priority.

... for the DepEd budget, aside from internet allowances of teachers as I mentioned, the feeding program will continue and how will that be when kids don't go to school specifically, so we have to allot a portion of the feeding program budget to the local government so that they can distribute it. With the cooperation of parents they're able to bring the food to the students...

Davila: You said that when the budget was passed you were quoted as saying that the Senate has passed, you said it was a responsive budget for the times, right? I'm curious, do we still need Bayanihan 3 then? There is in the House, I think, a resolution for P304 billion for Bayanihan 3 for 2021. Do we still need that then? I think they're setting aside P75 billion, again, for vaccine purchase.

Poe: Well, let's see. After the budget is finally approved in bicam and then we'll see where there, we might be able to supplement. But right now, the focus is really on passing the budget before the year ends. We already passed the CREATE bill, we passed the FIST bill. These things are meant to stimulate the economy. So, maybe when the figures of the actual amount for vaccines will be, then we can reconsider more stimulus packages to be able to comply with those demands.

Davila: All right, last words, Senator Grace, before we go. I guess your priority when it comes to the bicam, what are you personally ensuring? Because we do know that each senator or each lawmaker has his or her own advocacy to ensure that this budget isn't touched when it hits the bicam? What is yours?

Poe: The most important thing for me is to be able to address the needs that we have right now which is dictated by the COVID pandemic. Kailangan talagang may pera para sa bakuna. Kailangang may pera para doon sa mga nawalan ng trabaho, lalung-lalo na sa sektor ng tranportasyon. Kailangang may pera para sa ating mga estudyante at guro dahil marami sa kanila ngayon ang kailangang magbayad ng internet. Kaya pumapasok din diyan ang importansya ng telekomunikasyon. Kaya para sa akin, sa ating mga pagdinig sa pagbibigay ng prangkisa ang gusto natin 'yung internet ay mura, mabilis at sana sa lahat ng lugar, mayroon.