ROXAS: WORLD BANK REPORT A WAKEUP CALL TO PGMA

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas said today that the World Bank report released this month should serve as a wakeup call to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, to find ways to improve government subsidies to the poorest of the poor.

"The World Bank report highlights inefficiencies in government spending for the poor. Parang mas mabuti kapag maiwan itong buwis sa bulsa ng taong bayan, kung kukurakutin lang naman (It seems that it's better to keep this money in the pockets of the people, if leakage is going to occur anyway)," said Roxas, who is pushing for a P100-billion budget realignment package to cushion the effects of the worldwide economic crisis.

"Mas naaapektuhan ang mga mahihirap sa krisis na ito, at sa pagtaas ng presyo ng pagkain at ibang bilihin. Kung hindi rin naman pala nila napapakinabangan ito, bakit pa natin kinokolekta itong pera? (Our poor are more greatly affected by this crisis, and the rising prices of food and other goods. If they can't avail of these subsidies, why bother collecting taxes?)" he added.

The World Bank quarterly update, which reported the general slowdown in the Philippine economy this year, also noted how the leakage incidence for the Food-for-School program and National Food Authority subsidized rice was as high as 40%.

"Kahit wala na itong si Joc-Joc sa gobyerno ay naroon pa rin ang mga butas at kahinaan sa sistema at sa mga namumuno (Even with Joc-Joc out of the government, there remain the loopholes and weakness of the system and the leadership)," he said.

The Ilonggo senator said the government must show that it is implementing reforms in its institutions, and not just give lip service for this. "Kailangang mapakita ng ating gobyerno kung ano ba talaga ang mga reporma na tinutulak nila. Kung walang tunay na reporma, ay masasayang lang na naman ang trilyong-pisong budget ng pamahalaan (The government must show the reforms it is pushing. If there are no real reforms, then our trillion-peso will just go to waste again)," he said.

Roxas' P100-billion realignment package consists of the following:

1.  A one-time income tax credit or refund for up to four million fixed-income workers worth P5,000each,
     or a total of P20 billion;

2.  P20 billion as additional budget for the education sector;

3.  P12 billion funding for the government's health peace corps program;

4.  P10 billion to the DSWD's Conditional Cash Transfer program, to provide greater financial assistance
     to those who need it the most;

5.  P10 billion in agriculture support;

6.  P15-billion allocation for the Development Bank of the Philippines to provide assistance to boost capital
     and productivity of small enterprises;

7 . P3 billion for OFW support; and

8.  P10 billion on top of the budgets of various agencies implementing the Cheaper Medicines Act that
     was principally authored by Roxas.