Senate Minority Leader Franklin has proposed to use the “excess fats” in the proposed P3.77 trillion 2018 national budget to address the 1.2-million housing backlog in the country.
During the interpellation of the budget of the housing sector on Tuesday, Drilon called the proposed P4.4 billion in 2018, which is 70 percent lower than its P15.3- billion budget in 2017, an “injustice” to the housing sector. He lamented the huge cut in the housing sector’s capital outlay for next year.
He emphasized that budgetary support is crucial in addressing “the poorest sector of our society” and the huge budget cut is the “wrong policy thrust.”
“This is criminal neglect if we look at the budget of the housing sector,” Drilon warned.
Senator JV Ejercito, who sponsored the budget of the National Housing Authority, cited the agency’s alleged low absorptive capacity as a reason for the decrease, as proposed by the Department of Budget and Management in the 2018 national budget.
But Drilon disagreed with the justification as he noted that the absorptive capacity of the NHA is being blamed for the refusal by the economic managers to provide sufficient budget for the housing sector.
“We should not let our people suffer from these alleged inefficiencies of a bureaucracy, which is even open to question.”
Ejercito then placed on record that the NHA has obligated 85 percent of its funds in 2016, contrary to claims that the agency has low absorptive capacity.
Drilon said that “social problems will just continue to worsen if we continue to commit criminal neglect in our treatment of the housing sector.”
The housing backlog is expected to reach six million by 2022, according to Ejercito.
“With that kind of backlog, why are we not providing enough resources to our housing sector?” asked Drilon.
The minority leader then asked the committee as well as the chamber to restore the proposed budget of the housing sector for next year to its current level.
He said funds could be sourced from the “excess fats” and unproductive items in the proposed 2018 budget, citing, for instance, the budget for intelligence funds, which, he added, amounts to P3.7 billion, which he said has grown tremendously in the current administration.
The minority leader likewise emphasized the importance of housing as an economic tool, which has the highest multiplier effect on the economy.
“Sa bawat piso na gagastusin sa pabahay, pitong piso ang balik nito sa ekonomiya,” Drilon said.
“From the social point of view, housing is very important. From the economic point of view, it is very beneficial,” he concluded.
In July 2016, Drilon filed SBN 232 that seeks to create the Department of Housing and Urban Development, envisioned to be a “one stop shop for the homeless.”
Sen. Sonny Abgara manifested his support for the Department of Housing Bill of both the Minority Leader and as its sponsor.
“We’re also an author of that. And some of the problems intended to be solved are to reduce red tape, many have complained that it is so difficult to get all the approvals for the developers,” said Angara.
and secondly is to address the problem of social services because if we transfer a community in a far place, problems arise.
He noted that oftentimes, there is an effect on the social services, so if you’re talking about health centers, education, classrooms, there is a drag on resources becasue there was as sudden increase in the number if the need arises.
“We should think of ourselves as not just building houses but we’re actually building communities of actual people,” Angara said.