Education, health, jobs not priorities in 2T national budget

From: manilastandardtoday

The P2-trillion national budget for 2013 does not address jobs, poverty alleviation and protection from calamities, House leaders and civil society groups said Sunday.

House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said the dole to the poor was even bigger than the Health Department’s budget, and that no money was allocated to protect the public from typhoons.

Roland Cabigas, managing director of La Liga, a member of Social Watch Philippines and Alternative Budget Initiative, said the government’s response to calamities was to play coy and cute.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said apart from not providing quality jobs, the national budget does not adequately finance education and health care.

Casiño said the Health Department originally asked for a budget of P79.3 billion but was only given P40.1 billion. State universities and colleges asked for P54.6 billion but were given only P37.1 billion.

“It is very interesting to note that the proposed budget for the Department of Health is lower than that of the Department of Social Welfare and Development by over P15 billion,” Suarez said.

Health, Suarez said, was consistently ranked number 7 in the order of priority allocations. The proposed budget of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources remained at number 12 in spite of the “clear and present danger” from natural disasters.

“We have had powerful typhoons like Ondoy and Sendong. We also had earthquakes in succession. Losses to lives and property have been considerable,” Suarez added.###