Cayetano bats for project scorecard to track country's progress, five-year plan for gov't spending

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday appealed to lawmakers to exercise more "proactive" oversight on the implementation of the 2023 National Budget and to create a "scorecard" on the progress of government projects.

The independent senator said this should be done in conjunction with a five-year plan to more effectively track the progress of large government programs.

"The Oversight Committee (should) be more proactive in the sense that we can come together with the Minority and all independents to have a sort of scorecard that we can agree with with the administration," Cayetano said in a manifestation at the Senate on December 5, 2022, as lawmakers approved the 2023 National Budget.

Cayetano said the scorecard should be issued in light of a five-year plan that the administration could use as a framework for public spending on its declared policy and infrastructure priorities. This, he said, will make it easier for the public to hold the government accountable for projects and budget priorities it promised to deliver within the term of the current administration.

"Sila (the administration) ang magbigay sa atin nung criteria din kung three years, five years may plano, para namo-monitor natin. So may panic time din tayo," the senator said.

As an example, Cayetano discussed the need to build health centers for the two out every five barangays in the country that do not have properly-equipped and staffed community clinics, saying meeting such a goal would help the administration fulfill its promise of bringing reliable healthcare closer to the regions.

"So if you say that you need 10,000 health centers and in the third year of this administration, not because of the budget but let's say because of implementation, 3,000 lang ang nagawa, then we know that there's something we have to change," he explained.

"And then you have the latter part of the administration, the last three years to try to make up for the targets that were not met," he added.

Cayetano asserted that implementing its budget under a five-year plan would also allow the government to resolve long-running shortcomings in the delivery of the most basic services to the people.

"Doon tayo sa pinakasimple. So ano'ng kulang natin sa DepEd, classrooms ba o teachers ba? And 'yan ba kayang gawin in one year, three years, o five years? O ano'ng kulang natin sa health centers?" he said.

According to the senator, infrastructure development will also benefit from a five-year plan as this will allow the government to set clearer, time-bound goals for the projects it says it wants to achieve in line with its Build Better More infrastructure push.

"We always have a Medium Term Development Plan but when you look at it, most of the time generic siya. So for example, all Medium Term Plans will tell us na kailangan cheaper and more efficient delivery of goods and mobility of people. Pero hindi mo alam i-expect sa five years," Cayetano said.

"May subway na ba yan? Metro Manila lang ba ang bibigyan ng trains o pati Metro Davao, Metro Cebu? Paano y'ung ibang gustong maging metro din? Paano ang Baguio?" he added.

Finance Committee chair Senator Sonny Angara agreed with Cayetano on the need for a long-term plan, saying the latter's experience as Speaker of the House of Representatives and as Secretary of Foreign Affairs gives him a bigger perspective.

"Kitang kita po y'ung lawak ng kanyang karanasan. Ganun din kalawak y'ung kanyang pagtingin o pananaw, (he has a) very long-term vision," Angara said.

"I think the administration would probably have -- if it hasn't already finished -- y'ung medium term development plan at doon nakapaloob y'ung karamihan ng mga [achievement] target. But if we feel that any is lacking in detail, I think we can ask the officials to make it more coherent or specific so that we can determine kung na-meet nga y'ung goals na y'un," Angara added.

Meanwhile, Cayetano appealed that he be allowed to speak again about the budget once the General Appropriations Act is signed by the President, saying other details that need scrutiny often come out in the final version of the national spending bill.

"I ask the good chairperson (Angara) and the Senate President and the Majority Leader for the chance to speak more about the budget once we see all the details, but again, I'm very sincere, congratulations on the hard work," he said.

"We can sometimes criticize, we can sometimes collaborate but in the end, the success of this budget, the success of this administration is a success of the Filipino people," he added.

Cayetano nagtulak ng five-year plan, scorecard para sa paggasta ng admin

Hinimok ni Senador Alan Peter Cayetano ang mga kapwa mambabatas na magkaroon ng mas maagap o "proactive" na pangangasiwa sa pagpapatupad ng 2023 National Budget at ang paggawa ng isang "scorecard" na susubaybay sa mga proyekto ng pamahalaan.

Dagdad ng independent senator, dapat na ring simulan ng administrasyon ang paggawa ng isang five-year plan na gagabay sa lahat ng programa sa pangmatagalang panahon.

"The Oversight Committee (should) be more active in the sense that we can come together with the Minority and all independents to have a sort of scorecard that we can agree with with the administration," wika ni Cayetano sa isang manifestation sa Senado noong December 5, 2022 kung kailang ipinasa ng mga senador ang 2023 National Budget.

Ayon kay Cayetano, makatutulong ang scorecard sa pagbantay sa gobyerno pagdating sa mga proyekto at budget priorities na ipinangako nitong ipatutupad sa loob ng termino nito.

"Sila (ang administrasyon) ang magbigay sa atin ng criteria din kung three years, five years may plano, para namo-monitor natin. So may panic time din tayo," wika niya.

Ibinigay niyang halimbawa ang kakulangan ng health center sa 40 percent ng mga barangay sa bansa.

"So if you say that you need 10,000 health centers and in the third year of this administration, not because of the budget but let's say because of implementation, 3,000 lang ang nagawa, then we know that there's something we have to change," paliwanag niya.

"And then you have the latter part of the administration, the last three years to try to make up for the targets that were not met," dagdag niya.

Giit ni Cayetano, makatutulong ang five-year plan para matugunan ng gobyerno ang mga matagal nang kakulangan sa pagbigay ng mga pangunahing pangangailangan ng taumbayan.

"Doon tayo sa pinakasimple. So ano'ng kulang natin sa DepEd? Classrooms ba o teachers ba? And 'yan ba kayang gawin in one year, three years, o five years? O ano'ng kulang natin sa health centers?" wika niya.

Maging ang infrastructure development aniya ay makikinabang sa isang five-year plan dahil makagagawa ang pamahalaan ng mas malinaw na layunin para sa mga proyekto na naaayon sa "Build Better More" program nito.

"We always have a Medium Term Development Plan but when you look at it, most of the time generic siya. So for example, all Medium Term Plans will tell us na kailangan cheaper and more efficient delivery of goods and mobility of people. Pero hindi mo alam (kung ano ang) i-expect sa five years," wika ni Cayetano.

"May subway na ba yan? Metro Manila lang ba ang bibigyan ng trains o pati Metro Davao, Metro Cebu? Paano y'ung ibang gustong maging metro din? Paano ang Baguio?" dagdag niya.

Sumang-ayon si Finance Committee chair Senator Sonny Angara kay Cayetano sa mga mungkahi nito, na aniya'y galing sa matagal na panahon nitong paninilbihan bilang Speaker ng House of Representatives at bilang Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

"Kitang kita po y'ung lawak ng kanyang karanasan. Ganun din kalawak y'ung kanyang pagtingin o pananaw. (He has a) very long-term vision," wika ni Angara.

"I think the administration would probably have -- if it hasn't already finished -- y'ung medium term development plan at doon nakapaloob y'ung karamihan ng mga [achievement] target. But if we feel that any is lacking in detail, I think we can ask the officials to make it more coherent or specific so that we can determine kung na-meet nga y'ung goals na y'un," dagdag ni Angara.

Hiniling ni Cayetano na payagan siyang magsalita kapag napirmahan na ng Pangulo ang General Appropriations Act dahil aniya kailangang suriin ang mga detalye sa final version nito.

"I ask the good chairperson (Angara) and the Senate President and the Majority Leader for the chance to speak more about the budget once we see all the details, but again, I'm very sincere, congratulations on the hard work," wika niya.

"We can sometimes criticize, we can sometimes collaborate but in the end, the success of this budget, the success of this administration is a success of the Filipino people," dagdag ni Cayetano.