Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 15) – A lawmaker hit the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for its unspent ₱81.65-billion funds since 2019 in light of public transportation woes brought by the pandemic.
Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo said the DOTr, which has a proposed budget of ₱143-billion for 2021, has an unspent ₱60-billion in 2019 and ₱21.65-billion in 2020, based on its budget documents.
“Napaka-ironic, dahil maraming natitirang pondo, you are underspending,” she told DOTr officials during the department’s proposed budget deliberation on Wednesday. “Yet, at this point in time, ang isang napakalaking problema sa ekonomiya ay ang kakulangan ng public transportation. Napakahirap i-reconcile.”
[Translation: It’s so ironic that there is a huge amount unspent, you are underspending. Yet, at this point in time, the lack of public transportation is one of the biggest problems in the economy. It’s hard to reconcile.]
The DOTr originally proposed ₱500-billion budget for 2021, but the Department of Budget and Management only approved ₱143-billion.
Quimbo added that economic spending is essential as the country is trying to recover from the losses brought by the ongoing pandemic.
“Sa ngayon po talaga, sa tingin ko po napakalaking kasalanan kapag may natira pang pondo ngayon,” she said. “Kung dati po, wala pang pandemya, baka pwede pa natin patawarin ‘yan.”
[Translation: Right now, I think that is a grave mistake that something is left from the budget. If there is no pandemic like before, this might still be forgivable.]
Nueva Ecija Rep. Micaela Violago, who sponsored the agency’s proposed budget, responded that 72% of the 2019 budget was already dispersed as of August this year.
Moreover, the Transportation Department said the number of mass transit available amid the community quarantine is “sufficient.”
Violago noted that 75% of the 55,000 jeepney units are now operational, subject to 50% capacity.
“Inaayos po natin ito para mas marami pa ang makasakay,” she said. “Inaayos rin po na madagdagan yung transport na operational.”
[Translation: We are working to allow more commuters to ride. We are also in talks on how to increase the number of operational transportations.]
Citing the DOTr, Violago added that there are currently 4,093 city buses , 286 provincial buses, 387 point-to-point buses, 3,300 UV Express vehicles, 20,927 taxis, and 24,356 transport network vehicle services operating.
However, Quimbo is not convinced with the DOTr data.
“Sa aking palagay, kailangan niyong repasuhin. Dahil ang ultimate test is inflation,” Quimbo said. “As I have mentioned earlier, ang inaasahan nating inflation sa buong ekonomiya ay less than 3%. Pero ang inflation ng transportation sector ay 8.3%,” she said.
[Translaton: I think you should review everything. Because the ultimate test is inflation. As I have mentioned earlier, we are expecting less than 3% inflation for the whole economy. But the transportation sector is expected to have 8.3% inflation).
“That is the ultimate test of sufficiency of public transportation,” said the Marikina lawmaker added. “The fact that people pay so much more today for public transportation, means that we have failed to provide an adequate number.”
