KEEPING AN EYE ON THE BUDGET

The 2011 National Budget is bias for the poor and the vulnerable. As such, priority projects of P-Noy for good governance, education, healthcare, and peace and security will have adequate funds. The 2011 budget for basic education is P207.27 billion. It grew by 18.46% (P32 billion) from the 2010 basic education budget of P175 billion. The allotment for basic education is 12.06% of the P1.645 trillion national government budget. The DepEd is the top department to receive the highest budget allocation. It is followed by DPWH (P110.6 B), DND (P104.7 B), DILG (P88.2 B), DA (P37.7 B) and

DSWD (P34.3 B).

In the past few years, government had been funding public schools to supplement the school's need and to improve the system of education in the urban and the rural areas here in the country. With the highest allocation to education, Aquino said the budget would permit the building of new classrooms and employment of new teachers.  However, increases in funds do not automatically reflect a remarkable result in advanced performance. Since the country has thousands of public schools, there is also need to come up with strategies to reach as many schools as possible. The improvement not only lies in the quantity of the budget allotted for it but also to the qualitative improvements. Thus, the government and we, the public, have to take up the challenge of monitoring actual implementation. AMA

The national budget can be a powerful mechanism for ensuring that public resources are used for the welfare of the majority. Government revenues, mainly generated through taxes, can be used for vital economic, social and public services. Unfortunately, narrow interests have continuously robbed the direction of Philippine economic policy.

The Philippines is in the middle of a deep economic crisis and the people suffer from intensifying poverty, falling incomes, rising prices and high level of joblessness. Government should only use its budget to mitigate the harsh impacts of these on the people. However, the domination of elite interests prevents this from happening. I just hope that these corrupt people will be awaken and realized that now is the time for a real change and for them to give the Filipino people what they really deserve. PEY