By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Senator Joel Villanueva stressed the importance of ensuring adequate funding for enacted laws, pointing out that the previous year saw insufficient budget allocations for the effective implementation of laws already passed.
In reference to a 2023 report from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Villanueva noted that over 200 laws, some of which have been on the books for decades, suffer from funding shortages, severely affecting their execution.
“As lawmakers, we are duty-bound to pass laws that improve the lives of Filipinos. However, for these laws to truly make an impact, we need to ensure that there is enough funding to implement them,” the senator said.
“We need to ensure that all passed legislation is properly financed—not just in the short term, but sustainably,” he added.
Villanueva emphasized the need for closer collaboration between the Executive and Legislative branches, urging them to provide timely feedback and financial projections for bills that may require significant funding.
He also called for the creation of clear protocols to assess and address funding deficiencies during the budget preparation process.
“Ang paggawa ng batas ay hindi dapat maging simpleng ehersisyo ng pag-apruba ng mga panukala; ito ay isang pangako sa aksyon at pagbabago. Kailangan natin ng isang sistematikong approach upang matiyak na ang kinakailangang pondo ay naia-allocate para sa pagpapatupad ng mga batas, lalo na yung mga tumutugon sa mahahalagang isyu sa ekonomiya, seguridad, at mga serbisyong panlipunan,” Villanueva emphasized.
ia/mnm
