Solon proposes to slash OP funds, re-channel to disaster management, social services

In light of the recent calamities that struck Metro Manila and Northern Luzon, KABATAAN Representative Mong Palatino today urged the House of Representatives to review the 2010 budget and refocus it to disaster management, environment protection and social services.

“There are many lessons to be learned from the Ondoy and Pepeng tragedies. Perhaps, the most important is that the government should know where to allocate its funds. We are a disaster-prone country, and thus, this should be a consideration for our economic managers and budget planners,” Palatino said.

Given the extent of Ondoy and Pepeng’s damage, the youth solon said the 2010 budget should reflect the need to improve the disaster management and environmental protection, and the urgent necessity to provide social services especially to those who were left with nothing by the storm.

The neophyte solon asserted that a portion of President’s budget should be rechannelled to social services. “If the President is really sincere in helping out typhoon victims, she should give up unnecessary items in her P4.3 billion budget and give it to those who need it most. The 10 billion calamity fund is insufficient,” he said.

Palatino, for instance, questioned the President’s P150 million in intelligence funds, which only she can approve for release, and the whopping P1 billion for the Commission on Information and Communications Technology’s telecommunication’s office, which merely functions to send telegrams.

‘Refugee nation’

Meanwhile, Palatino said that the Philippines has become a “refugee nation” under the Arroyo administration, with the growing number of refugees and internally displaced persons caused by environmental disasters.

“Every time a disaster occurs, government reaction has always been to seek assistance from other countries. We seem to lack the manpower, skills, resources, preparation and technology to deal with calamities yet we know that natural disasters are frequent in this part of the world,” he said.

Palatino said, “We should prevent more people from becoming environmental refugees by implementing a comprehensive and sustainable program to protect our environment. Our predicament is not just how to discourage our people from leaving the country. Another dilemma is how to stop our people from becoming refugees in their own land,” he said.