Pnoy Administration 2015 Budget Still Laced With Pork Barrel? #IlonggoOFW

The Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) are being used by the Pnoy Administration to hasten the development of every government sectors through which these were given to priority projects for its constituents. The essence of these two funding are thoroughly applied but other political leaders opposed and even the Judicial arm found it unconstitutional.

It’s the most controversial in the governance of President Aquino which made the Administration to fight back, that DAP is constitutional in its form and usage. The present administration molded this funding system to augment with increased and prioritized projects for development.

The Supreme Court ruling on the DAP was one of the most difficult challenges for the President in 2014. This also brought on the President’s lowest performance and trust ratings since mid-2010. The High Tribunal’s decision declaring the DAP unconstitutional can also be blamed for the uncertainty in government spending, which slowed down the country’s economic growth. The SC was bound to uphold its earlier decision and junk the motion for reconsideration filed by the Office of the Solicitor General. The voting on the matter, however, was deferred until the resumption of en banc sessions in January 2015.

In regaining his lofty approval ratings in the fourth quarter, the President also overcame criticism on how he responded to discredit the administration on account of alleged ‘selective justice’ in the investigation and prosecution of legislators said to be involved in anomalies related to the disbursement of PDAF or ‘pork barrel’ funds but these were eventually hurdled.

It’s a fact that majority of the people and political observer have negative notion that Pnoy Administration will eventually follow the Supreme Court ruling. For 2015 budget, it’s still laced with DAP system in another form of funding. The savings of the government’s properly guided by its meaning to use in prioritized projects but it will be monitored and checked.

The Pnoy Administration’s penultimate year, and the GAA duly reflects President Aquino’s development priorities for 2015, pouring even more investments into the Administration’s anti-poverty and economic growth programs, as well as strengthening governance reforms.

The GAA signing is likewise of historical note. Not since democracy was restored in 1986 has the government enacted the National Budget on time for five years straight. When the Administration began, its aim was to establish a tradition of promptness in the signing of the GAA, so that government agencies can also ensure the swift delivery of public goods and services. Now that it entered its fifth year of enacting the budget on time.

The 2015 budget also continues the Administration’s GAA-As-Release-Document regime, which the President—through the Department of Budget and Management—spearheaded in 2014. Under this regime, appropriations are considered released to agencies the very moment the budget is enacted, with the exception of specific conditional items.

The signing of the 2015 GAA likewise brings the Administration to its second year of Performance-Informed budgeting, where an agency’s budget for the entire fiscal year is expected to support the accomplishment of specific targets, as outlined in a department’s Performance Information.

Is it really heading for increase developments in terms of its form and substance in Philippine governance? How about the negative elements of the funding claimed by the opposition leaders?