Press Release
December 22, 2009

ANGARA CHOOSES JOBS FOR FILIPINOS OVER DEFICIT

Senator Edgardo J. Angara identified education, science and technology, environment and climate change mitigation, health, and infrastructure as main priority areas in government's spending plan for 2010, emphasizing that these will allow the country to meet the twin goals of job creation and green development.

"The 2010 budget is designed to stimulate the economy through massive human capital development, as well as to pursue a green and sustainable growth," said Angara, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance.

"This entails capitalizing on our rich renewable energy resources and enriching our human resources, thereby creating green jobs and income opportunities. We emphasize the promotion of clean technologies, realizing our huge potential for renewable energy, filling our huge infrastructure gaps, and raising our educational qualification, agricultural productivity and shoring up a failing health care system," he said.

The 2010 General Appropriations Act ratified by Senate last week recommends a higher spending level for education (DepEd, SUCs and CHED) at P185.5 B; infrastructure, P126.9 B; pension and gratuity, P79.9 B; land reform, P20.8 B; health, P30.4 B; transportation and communications, P16.6 B; and social welfare and development, P15.3 B.

Angara further stressed the need to maintain the country's growth by pump priming the economy to prevent it from contracting and to save more people from falling into poverty, especially as the global economy is just recovering from the financial crisis.

Debt service for 2010 was reduced from P340.8 billion to P297.63 billion. The cut was distributed among the DPWH, DepEd, DA and DOTC for priority infrastructure projects.

Explaining the need to maintain a steady growth level for the country even at the expense of reduced debt service, Angara said that "a 1% drop in GDP growth is equal to a 1.35% rise in poverty incidence. In other words, an additional 930,000 people will fall below the poverty line for every 1% GDP drop. That is why we need to keep growing."

Responding to some reports that the bicameral proceedings were kept under wraps, Angara emphasized that both Senate and House minority and majority were well-represented during the deliberations. Senate Minority Floor Leader Aquilino Pimentel and House Minority Floor Leader Ronaldo Zamora were present, along with majority Senator Gregorio Honasan and Congressman Edcel Lagman.

"We are making vital investments in human capital development to prevent our economy from shrinking," said Angara.

He added "we are also putting resources into the implementation of the Clean Air Act and the Solid Waste Management Act which the Supreme Court itself has directed, upgrading of State Universities and Colleges, construction of school buildings in underserved areas, and the funding of industrial and renewable energy research and development through DOST."

Further, Congress is allocating more funds to expand the coverage of the national health insurance to indigent families, as well as to augment the pension and gratuity of the police and military as proposed by Senator Richard Gordon and Senator Ping Lacson.

Among the major components of the P1.541 Trillion national budget for 2010 are:

  • Science, Technology and Engineering Scholarships and Exchange Student Programs for Filipinos in Taiwan, Korea and Japan, P56.030 million

  • the Engineering Research and Development Technology (ERDT) consortium of seven top engineering universities, P300 million

  • construction of school buildings and additional MOOEs for SUCs, P73 million

  • establishment of the Philippine Industrial R&D Institute for semiconductors and electronics, P100 million

  • National Tele Health Project, P100 (under DOH, with UP-PGH as implementing agency)

  •  Establishment of the Renewable Energy R&D Institute (RERDI), P100 million

  • Almost P500 billion for the implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and the Clean Air Act, conservation of Protected Areas, rehabilitation of lakes and rivers, mapping of forest cover, seedling program, community-based forest management, Climate Change program, Air Quality management, dismantling of illegal structures

  • Establishing a Philippine Disaster Preparedness Center, P100 million

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