DOTr budget cut by P63 billion

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is the biggest loser in the P4.1-trillion national budget signed by President Duterte last Monday after getting a P63-billion cut.

The 2020 General Appropriations Bill passed by both the House and Senate reflected the P146-billion budget of DOTr as proposed by the executive branch.

But during bicameral conference, lawmakers decided to slice the department’s budget by P63.189 billion, based on its committee report obtained by The STAR.

The bulk of the cut – P61.283 billion – was taken from the office of the secretary. 

The bicam, however, augmented the budget of DOTr-attached agencies by P16.540 billion.

Of the agencies under the department, the Philippine Coast Guard got an increase of P3.9 billion in its P11.293-billion budget.

The Maritime Industry Authority and Civil Aeronautics Board likewise received additional budgets of P50 million and P20 million, respectively.

In total, the department gets a net decrease of P46.649 billion in its 2020 budget, which dropped from the originally proposed P146.044 billion budget to P99.395 billion. 

This Duterte-approved budget, however, is still bigger than the agency’s P67.67-billion budget in 2019. 

Lawmakers earlier announced that agencies with dismal spending performance would get the biggest budget cuts.

Sen. Christopher Go said Duterte has ordered the DOTr and other concerned agencies to speed up the completion of their infrastructure projects under the Build, Build, Build program so the public can benefit from them. 

Senators earlier warned the DOTr’s P357-billion Metro Manila subway was a white elephant in the making owing to distortions made in its original alignment that led to dangerous design changes, the bloating of its cost and uncertainty in funding for the entire mega project.  

Despite the cuts, Duterte gave assurance that the public would benefit from the record-high budget and vowed that he would not tolerate corruption.

Meanwhile, a House leader yesterday welcomed the timely passage of the P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020, which they believe could further boost the nation’s economy.

Deputy Speaker and 1-Pacman party-list Rep. Mikee Romero stressed that Duterte’s signing of the budget last Monday would pave the way for sustained gross domestic product growth and reduction in poverty.

Romero explained that the release of the 2020 budget, paired with the extension of the 2019 budget for maintenance and other operating expenses and capital outlays, will significantly increase government spending in the first half of this year.

“So within the first half of 2020, the agencies would be using 2019 and 2020 funds. The economy should get a sizeable boost from all that government spending,” Romero said in a statement.

But for this vision to materialize, Romero pointed out that government agencies should release their respective funds as quickly as possible.