Lower House approves P18 B budget for Cordi

BAGUIO CITY – The Lower House has approved P22 billion supplemental budget, a necessity in implementing overdue programs that include obligated projects in Cordillera, said Rep. Nicasio M. Aliping, Jr.

Aliping, a member of committee on appropriations, co-authored House Bill 5237, “An Act appropriating the Sum of twenty two billion four hundred sixty seven million six hundred eight thousand pesos as supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2014 and for other purposes.”

Voting 183-12 with no abstentions, the Lower House approved the measure Dec. 15.

The Senate also passed its own version of the bill on third and final reading on December 16, 2014.

Both houses have also ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed P2.606-trillion national budget for 2015.

Aliping said “bulk of the supplemental budget will be spent to pay for projects financed through the disallowed Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).”

Aliping said that “Due to the impact of the Supreme Court ruling declaring the PDAF as unconstitutional, to this date, projects that were commenced or completed prior to said decision have remained unpaid and outstanding and are all valid obligations incurred by the government.”

“Also, upon declaration as unconstitutional of certain acts and practices under the DAP, approved priority projects have only been partially implemented or not implemented at all. These projects are still deemed necessary and important to be continued,” said Aliping.

“Similarly, urgent infrastructure, socio-economic, rehabilitation and reconstruction projects which are not funded in any existing appropriation laws need to be funded and commenced at the earliest possible time.”

“Legislative appropriation is the legal solution to resolve the funding of these obligated government programs, which our legislators acted upon,” Aliping said.

“The measure is now awaiting the signature of President Benigno Aquino III,” he said.