Jeff
12-27-2007, 01:31 PM
The Manila Standard Today
Dec. 27, 2007
By Fel V. Maragay
CONGRESS is becoming more expensive to maintain even as it draws increasing criticism over the slow pace of legislation and frequent bickering between its leaders and Malacañang.
For next year, Congress has raised its own budget to P5.8 billion, up by P354.3 million from the current P5.45 billion, budget documents obtained from the Senate show.
On top of the fund set aside for operations and maintenance, P5.9 billion has been earmarked for the pork barrel of 23 senators and over 230 congressmen. The lawmakers are entitled to identify public works projects they want supported.
The Senate was given a budget of P1.54 billion under the 2008 budget bill passed by the House of Representatives. But the senators voted for P235 million more in their own version of the bill.
The Senate’s adjusted budget for 2008 is P1.78 billion, or P115 million more than this year’s P1.62 billion.
Senators said the increase would go to putting secretariat and employees’ salaries on par with those in the House.
For next year, the Senate also raised the budget of the Senate Electoral Tribunal to P87.9 million. The tribunal is about to start recounting the votes cast in the May 2007 senatorial elections in Maguindanao and some towns in other Mindanao provinces.
Meanwhile, the budget of the House has been increased from P3.43 billion to P3.56 billion next year, despite surpluses from previous years.
Earlier, Speaker Jose de Venecia had boasted that the House returned P60 million to the National Treasury from savings as a result of cost-cutting measures.
The biggest portion of the congressional budget goes to salaries and allowances of senators, congressmen, their support staff and consultants, the secretariat and employees.
Travel expenses in and out of the country also account for a significant portion of the budget.
The bicameral Commission on Appointments, composed of 13 senators and 12 congressmen, will have a budget of P292 million, slightly higher than the current P219.9 million.
The House approved a P5.2-billion budget for the Office of the President. While opposition senators wanted to cut this by P600 million, the Senate voted to leave the budget intact.
The Senate also shelved a suggestion to reduce the P176.9 million budget for the Office of the Vice President.
Of next year’s total spending program of P1.227 trillion, P2.7790 billion or more than a fourth will go to pay interest on loans. A total of P59.9 billion will be used to pay the pension and other benefits of war veterans and military retirees.
Remarks:
So here we go again, preparation and acquisition of budgets from public taxes. Huge amount and where do it go? Increasing of budget is out question if it is used properly and orderly. There are still plenty of national roads, plenty of bridges which are still pending for contruction and repair. Many schools which dont have enough rooms, children still under nourish, there are still plenty of missionaries coming to our country and what does it means? meaning our Government and all branches still can't cope or never have the plan to cope up the welfare of Filipinos... It is right time for us to unite and make Philippines WOW again. Sana naman mapunta ang lahat sa kapakanan ng mamayan.
Dec. 27, 2007
By Fel V. Maragay
CONGRESS is becoming more expensive to maintain even as it draws increasing criticism over the slow pace of legislation and frequent bickering between its leaders and Malacañang.
For next year, Congress has raised its own budget to P5.8 billion, up by P354.3 million from the current P5.45 billion, budget documents obtained from the Senate show.
On top of the fund set aside for operations and maintenance, P5.9 billion has been earmarked for the pork barrel of 23 senators and over 230 congressmen. The lawmakers are entitled to identify public works projects they want supported.
The Senate was given a budget of P1.54 billion under the 2008 budget bill passed by the House of Representatives. But the senators voted for P235 million more in their own version of the bill.
The Senate’s adjusted budget for 2008 is P1.78 billion, or P115 million more than this year’s P1.62 billion.
Senators said the increase would go to putting secretariat and employees’ salaries on par with those in the House.
For next year, the Senate also raised the budget of the Senate Electoral Tribunal to P87.9 million. The tribunal is about to start recounting the votes cast in the May 2007 senatorial elections in Maguindanao and some towns in other Mindanao provinces.
Meanwhile, the budget of the House has been increased from P3.43 billion to P3.56 billion next year, despite surpluses from previous years.
Earlier, Speaker Jose de Venecia had boasted that the House returned P60 million to the National Treasury from savings as a result of cost-cutting measures.
The biggest portion of the congressional budget goes to salaries and allowances of senators, congressmen, their support staff and consultants, the secretariat and employees.
Travel expenses in and out of the country also account for a significant portion of the budget.
The bicameral Commission on Appointments, composed of 13 senators and 12 congressmen, will have a budget of P292 million, slightly higher than the current P219.9 million.
The House approved a P5.2-billion budget for the Office of the President. While opposition senators wanted to cut this by P600 million, the Senate voted to leave the budget intact.
The Senate also shelved a suggestion to reduce the P176.9 million budget for the Office of the Vice President.
Of next year’s total spending program of P1.227 trillion, P2.7790 billion or more than a fourth will go to pay interest on loans. A total of P59.9 billion will be used to pay the pension and other benefits of war veterans and military retirees.
Remarks:
So here we go again, preparation and acquisition of budgets from public taxes. Huge amount and where do it go? Increasing of budget is out question if it is used properly and orderly. There are still plenty of national roads, plenty of bridges which are still pending for contruction and repair. Many schools which dont have enough rooms, children still under nourish, there are still plenty of missionaries coming to our country and what does it means? meaning our Government and all branches still can't cope or never have the plan to cope up the welfare of Filipinos... It is right time for us to unite and make Philippines WOW again. Sana naman mapunta ang lahat sa kapakanan ng mamayan.