Monday, October 20, 2008 3 Cebu solons for ‘safety nets’
ALTHOUGH food and job security programs, health and education services are already in the proposed 2009 budget, Cebu City’s legislators welcomed proposals to help poor Filipinos cope with the effects of the global credit crunch.
Reps. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south district) and Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north district) said they will support Sen. Mar Roxas’ proposed realignment in the draft P1.4-trillion budget.
Roxas is pushing to include P100 billion worth of “safety nets” and social welfare programs intended to help Filipinos weather the effects of the crisis.
The proposed fund amounts to less than one percent of the $700-billion bailout recently approved by the United States Congress to rescue cash-starved banks and revive both credit markets and confidence in the economy.
In a press statement, Roxas said he will push for more funds for job security, food security, education and health services.
Changes
“Even without the economic meltdown, these are priority concerns and these things have already been provided for in the budget. But with the financial situation expected to worsen, then I am open to increasing the allocation for these concerns. It’s quite a big amount but considering what it will be used for, I think it’s reasonable,” del Mar told Sun.Star Cebu.
Cuenco said he will also support the amendments that Roxas proposed, with more allocations for food and medicines for the poor.
“Those amendments are possible, I will support that. But I think the focus should be on the food and medicines, that’s the most important of all those concerns, especially if we’re talking about the poor Filipinos,” said Cuenco.
Even if final copies of the Lower House’s version of the budget have been printed, the amendments may still be carried after the third and final reading, which is scheduled when session resumes on Nov. 10.
The proposed amendments to the House and Senate versions of the budget will be resolved in the budget conference committee, composed of members of the Lower House and the Senate.
Options
Del Mar, a deputy speaker at the House, said he is willing to sit down with Roxas to discuss the proposed amendments.
“The Western countries have shown the way, they are providing buffer funds to address the plight of the people with the impending crisis. I welcome any discussion with Senator Roxas so we can make necessary realignments to meet the challenges of the financial crisis. While we will not be as affected as the other countries, we realize
that we will be affected and we have to prepare for that,” he added.
For his part, Rep. Pablo Garcia (Cebu Province, 2nd district) said the National Government should embark on projects that can create jobs.
“The problem with doleouts is that you don’t have enough, or you might not be able to sustain it, and people will become dependent on it,” Garcia told Sun.Star Cebu.
Garcia, also a deputy House speaker, urged taxpayers to carefully study crisis management proposals.
Roxas, Senate committee on trade and commerce chairman, said that of the proposed P1.4-trillion budget, about P1 trillion is already locked for salaries, interest payments and maintenance expenditures.
Garcia agreed that the global crisis will probably affect Filipinos, particularly those working abroad as well as the exporters who rely on American buyers. So far, however, he said has not heard of any reported mass layoffs in both local and foreign companies. (LCR/With GMD)
