Senators 'sad, disappointed' over cuts in 2025 budget

Several senators on Wednesday expressed disappointment over the cuts in funding for some items in the final version of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) which contains the P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian admitted being "disappointed" over the approved bicameral conference committee report on the 2025 GAB which he said did not adopt the Senate-pushed budgetary support for state universities and colleges.

According to Gatchalian, the P3 billion that was introduced by the Senate for the funding of free higher education was removed during the bicam.

"Accepted yan here in the Senate...Pagdating sa bicam tinanggal. So that's one of the things sa akin na medyo disappointing because magkakaroon tayo ng shortfall sa free higher education," Gatchalian said.

The senator also revealed that the Senate-proposed funding for the Department of Education was reduced by P12 billion and the Commission on Higher Education by P30 billion.

Despite this, Gatchalian welcomed the increases in the Department of Energy and the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri was also saddened by the final version of the budget bill as the increases that he introduced in the budget of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) were not adopted during the bicam.

"I’m just sad, ako nalulungkot ako dahil sa DOST budget hindi nabigyan ng additional. Ipinaglaban namin sa Senado na dagdagan sila ng almost P700-P800 million, paglabas ng bicam report, bumalik sa NEP ang budget ng DOST kaya binanggit ko kanina na I’d like to put on record na revert sa NEP budget ang mga departments," he said in an ambush interview.

He noted his push for an increase in the budget of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration to upgrade their monitoring systems.

"Kawawa na ang PHIVOLCS, di ba? Sumabog ang Bulkan Kanlaon noong isang araw. Kulang daw sila ng monitoring equipment. Naidagdag sana sa budget ngayon, eh wala. Kawawa rin ang PAGASA," he said.

"Sana man lang nasabihan kami na ganun nga ang mangyayari, sana nahanapan ng paraan, we could have lobbied for the increase of their budget. I’m just disappointed as the chairman of the subcommittee handling the budget of the DOST. Nahiya ako sa DOST. Talaga nahiya ako," he added.

Senators Risa Hontiveros, JV Ejercito, and Bong Go also aired their concerns on the zero subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation under the proposed 2025 budget.

In a statement, Hontiveros said the decision for a zero subsidy for PhilHealth is "unfair, illegal, and potentially unconstitutional."

"Denying PhilHealth support to pay the premium contribution of the most vulnerable is to deny Filipinos our right to health," she said.

Hontiveros stressed that it is the obligation of the government to pay for the premiums of indirect contributors such as senior citizens, indigents, and persons with disabilities.

"Paano na lang ang mga kababayang hindi makakapagbayad ng kanilang premium contribution? Malaking dagok ito sa mithiin nating magkaroon ng universal healthcare sa bansa," she said.

Hontiveros said the PhilHealth charter, the Sin Tax Law and the UHC Act mandate that portions of certain taxes go to the state health insurer.

"Kahit pa may 'excess o reserve funds' kuno ang PhilHealth, may mga batas na nagsasabing kailangan ito pondohan. It is ironic that PhilHealth gets zero subsidy on the eve of International Universal Health Coverage Day, especially when the UN makes it clear that health is the government’s responsibility," she said.

Ejercito echoed a similar sentiment, saying this decision of Congress might entail legal questions.

"Ang worry ko lang doon, concern kasi by law yan eh. Sin Taxes Law earmarks percentage for the indirect contributors para sa PhilHealth... Both UHC and Sin Taxes Law...'Yung legality ang baka maquestion kasi nga nasa batas yan na its already earmarked," Ejercito, author of the UHC Law, said.

"Worried ako pero of course, malungkot. Lahat naman na cut eh so it's never enough always pero sana yung mga main projects ng DOH kailangan sa DOH, DOTR importante sa atin yan," he added.

For his part, Go said in a statement that he has "strong reservations" about the removal of the budget for PhilHealth.

In an interview after the bicam meeting earlier today, Senate finance committee chairperson Grace Poe disclosed that PhilHealth will get zero subsidy in 2025 due to its P600 billion reserve funds.—LDF, GMA Integrated News