THE House of Representatives’ small committee has allocated additional funds for social services for next year.
The small committee had been tasked to introduce changes to the 2025 General Appropriations Bill.
“The additional funding is crucial for supporting those in need. We’re providing assistance to struggling families, especially during these challenging times,” said Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations.
The committee provided an additional P39.8 billion for Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) and another P39.8 billion for the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program.
It allocated P3.4 billion to the Sustainable Livelihood Program for low-income families.
“We believe that empowering individuals through livelihood programs will help break the cycle of poverty,” Co said.
Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, senior vice chairman of the House appropriations panel, said that the Department of Labor and Employment would receive an additional amount of P20.28 billion for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers and the Government Internship Program.
“We must have funds on standby to support those who have crossed the poverty threshold to prevent them from falling back into poverty due to economic challenges. This budget is not just about numbers; it’s about the lives we can uplift,” Quimbo said.
The small committee also allocated P30.01 billion more for tertiary education scholarships. The amount would be “split evenly between the Commission on Higher Education’s Tertiary Education Subsidy and Tulong Dunong programs.”
“Investing in education is investing in the future. Every child deserves the chance to learn and succeed,” said Quimbo, a former economics professor at the University of the Philippines (UP).
The small committee also allocated additional funding of P7 billion to the Department of Education for building and repairing school facilities.
Meanwhile, additional funding of P8.44 billion will be allocated to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to increase the subsistence allowances of military personnel.
“Once approved, the daily subsistence of soldiers will increase to P250 or a 67% hike from previous levels,” the press release indicates.
“The extra funding for enlisted men’s daily subsistence was initiated by House Speaker Martin Romualdez in response to appeals by military personnel he regularly meets in the field,” it added.
The AFP also got an additional P3.2 billion “to complete the airport expansion on Pag-asa Island along with a shelter port in Lawak, Palawan,” which “are in support of efforts to defend the West Philippine Sea.”
Meanwhile, P30 billion was realigned “for the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Irrigation Network Piping System, solar-powered irrigation systems, and cold storage projects.”
Also, an additional budget of P44 billion was allocated to the National Irrigation Administration for the establishment of “pump irrigation and solar-driven pump irrigation projects,” while the Department of Health got extra funding of P56.87 billion to boost its Health Facility Enhancement Program, Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients Program, and improving specialty and legacy hospitals, Co said.
P1 billion was allocated for the upgrading of the UP-Philippine General Hospital.
“Healthcare is a fundamental right, and we must ensure that all Filipinos have access to quality medical services,” Co added.
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