Thousands of distressed Filipinos abroad may be facing a tough year ahead in terms of getting government assistance after the Budget and Management Department (DBM) slashed by 42.6 percent the budget sought by the Foreign Affairs Department.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo told the House appropriations committee Wednesday that the Aquino administration approved only P27 million in legal assistance fund or LAF.
Section 18 of RA 10022 or the Amended Migrant Workers' Act provides for an allotment of P100 million in LAF, of which P50 million shall be taken from the President’s contingency fund, P30 million from the President’s social fund, and P20 million from the Overseas Workers Welfare Fund.
Foreign Affairs originally asked for P19 billion for its 2011 operations, but the DBM only approved P10.9 billion equivalent to 0.67 percent of the P1.645 trillion national budget that the administration wants the House appropriations committee to approve.
Apart from consular and diplomatic services, the Foreign Affairs Department is helping some 7,000 Filipinos jailed around the world with 230 involving the death sentence.
Romulo pointed out that it is important to protect Filipinos abroad. With the Foreign Affairs budge slashed, “we have to get [the fund] somewhere because the needs of our overseas workers are pressed and we should provide them," he said.
House minority leader Edcel Lagman, who considers the budget cut a violation of RA 10022, asked if Romulo accepted the diminished budget particularly a lower LAF.
“We will do our best to make a representation," Romulo replied. "That’s the law and it should be complied with. We will insist that the law is complied with."
The department will have to tighten its belt and put on hold several projects, Romulo said. “Ours is a decrease of over 40 percent and that is why priority projects that we have, like new regional consular offices – which is frontline – just have to be put on hold because we don’t have the budget."
The repair and rehabilitation of Philippine representation facilities abroad would also have to be delayed, he added. "You all know that if you don’t repair and rehabilitate your residences, it will keep on deteriorating then you will need a new house and that is more expensive."
Also affected is the car re-fleeting program of Philippine consular and diplomatic offices.
“If we fetch them in the airport and the car breaks down, don’t blame it on us. We tried our best to maintain the car. If you are delayed going to your hotel then that’s part of the price we have to pay," Romulo said.
Despite the budget situation, Romulo said he continues to trust the President. “I have full confidence in President Aquino. Our people overwhelmingly elected him and we should support President Aquino and that is what we are doing," he said. —JE/VS
