By Dang Samson-Garcia
THE Department of Education, Office of the Vice President and several other agencies will get zero confidential funds next year as the House of Representatives has decided to align such funds under the proposed P5.768-trillion budget.
House Committee on Appropriations Senior Vice Chairman Stella Quimbo confirmed that the House’s small panel agreed to reallocate P194 billion, including the P1.23 billion confidential fund, to other items that address the rising cost of commodities and develop and protect the West Philippine Sea.
“Our panel introduced P194 billion worth of institutional amendments. The main goal was to rationalize the allocation of resources to fight inflation, invest in human capital and in our country’s future,” Quimbo said.
Other agencies that lost their confidential fund allocation are the Department of Agriculture, Department of Information and Communications Technology and Department of Foreign Affairs.
The P1.23 billion will go to the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, P300 million; P100 million to the National Security Council; P200 million to the Philippine Coast Guard for intelligence activities and ammunition; and P381.8 million to the Department of Transportation for airport development and expansion of Pag-asa Island Airport.