The DAP and “Government Savings” By Apolinario Villalobos It looks like the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) is a result of budget juggling in which the Department of Budget Management (DBM) is an expert. The DBM and just lately, the President himself, in a press conference told the world that the DAP is needed to bolster the seemingly lagging economy of the country, hence, “acceleration” is necessary, and another hence, more expenditures are needed. What!?!? By its name alone, the DAP with “acceleration” in the middle is supposed to be a mandate. It would look better if presidential instruction is given to implementing Agencies and LGUs to “accelerate” or hasten or speed up or rush up or quicken existing projects for which budgets have already been allocated because as found out, the problem is the unreasonable pending of projects despite the allocated budgets which is a case of fund malversation on the part of implementing Agencies and LGUs. The DAP as the name suggests does not call for “release” of more budgets which unfortunately DBM did just lately resulting to questions from the different sectors. On TV, Abad mentioned that although there are purported budgets, these are actually appropriations. He must be referring to the DAP and Malampaya Fund. Does he mean, budget on papers? No cash available? If so, why were the legislators given millions months after the Corona case? – the money found to be from DAP. On Malampaya fund, he said that portions of the fund were used to purchase a patrol boat for the Navy and helicopter in view of the Spratlys/West Philippine Sea issue, and added, equipment for PAG-ASA. But what happened? And worse, though, still under investigation, how did Napoles dip her finger into it? Why are the Chinese are still happily constructing facilities within our territory? Why are the PAG-ASA people still clamoring for their unpaid hazard pay? As a final statement to defend the President, he said that it is necessary for the latter to have a standby fund that he can use for emergencies. So there, he implied the discretion of the President in the disbursement of the fund – a pork with another face, that Malacanang vehemently denies. As to the “savings”….how can all government agencies, for that matter, ever have savings when their budgets for the coming fiscal year is based on the budgets of the previous year? Reason dictates that previous spendings are supposed to tell the budget guys of the agencies that they need more money instead of having saved some. In fact, due to progressive needs of agencies, they are supposed to be in need of budgets for unexpected projects, therefore, not included for the current fiscal year. Simply put, for instance, the FY 2010 budget is prepared based on FY 2009 expenditures which may show sometimes, necessary additional budget for other projects that were not expected during the previous year or FY 2009. In this view, the 2010 budget is supposed to have a bigger amount in their proposal. During the presentation of 2010 budget, haggling is done resulting to reduction of the budget in some cases. Very seldom are submitted budgets approved as they are. In this example, it is expected that the upgraded 2010 budget as requested based on the previous fiscal year will have been exhausted by the end of the fiscal year or the report may show some red due again to unexpected necessary projects. Therefore, how can agencies accumulate savings? But sadly, as agencies are actually scrimping to incur savings because they expect their savings to be given back to them as incentive at the end of the year, this effort could result to the sacrifice of service quality and deficient procured equipment. It is now up to the agencies to make use of the incentive, whether to enjoy them as bonus for employees or on procurement of additional equipment. The Philippine government as a republic has been in existence for so many years now. Since the day one of its being a republic, it must have identified projects that are necessary for its development in the name of progress. Why not come up then with a list of these projects to which standardized budgets are assigned. For a example, a bridge with so much length should be assigned a budget, a school building with such a number of rooms and other facilities should be assigned appropriate budget, a national road with so much length should be assigned appropriate budget, etc. In other words a ceiling is necessary to ensure overpricing. The budget must be checked against current material costs to effect regular updating, then appropriately recorded as future reference. If a certain government agency was able to come up with a thick book of list of government positions complete with functions and salary grade/rate, then why can’t DBM come up with a similar reference? If there is already one, why are scandals on misappropriations still happening? What is DBM as an agency to “manage” government funds and budgets for? It has been admitted by DBM that the DAP is where the savings went. Also, this “program” is the source of “incentives” for the agencies that incurred these savings, but why include the legislators who will serve as conduits for the disbursement in the implementation of their supposed projects? Why not appropriate the fund directly to the implementing Agencies which are supposed to coordinate with LGUs for “accelerated implementation of the projects? Why add a corner (legislators) in the flow of budget when it can just slow down the process? One need not be a university graduate to sense this flaw or loophole. Are the economist and technocrat advisers of the President doing their jobs? With the scandals going on involving government agencies, is there any attempt NOW to take a closer look at HOW the government with ALL its agencies, LGUs and the two houses of legislators “operate”? There should be an overall homogenous operation. The Philippines is a republic and not federal. But the way the agencies and the two legislative houses do their acts, it is as if, each is on its own. Their operations must be inter-related to each other to ensure a smooth flow of actions on all issues. Information technologists call this as flow chart. Such operational chart will show what agency is doing on what issue and what action has been taken by what agency and what next action is expected from another agency and so on. Government people should pick it up from there. By all means, all actions must be explained and indicated in the flow. The Philippines does not have that many projects so that the DBM has no reason why it cannot monitor where the people’s money goes. Projects in answer to the needs of the Filipinos practically concern the same areas: for education – school building, salaries for teachers, scholarship, research for educational program upgrades, etc.; for infrastructure – government roads and highways, bridges, etc.; for agricultural development – farming technology development, irrigation, silos, farm equipment, etc,.; health – hospitals, clinics, medicines, trainings of medical staff, etc. This is the only way to standardize the appropriation, so that questions shall not be asked why expenditure on a certain project in Mindanao is bigger than the same project in Luzon. But then, unless the Filipinos will not mature politically, corruption will still be with us. There can never be a “best”, “strong”, “intelligent” leader for a throng of people in disarray because of selfishness….not even a dictator.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 01:31:38 +0000
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