The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is requesting an increase in its Php 8.85 billion budget approved by the Department of Budget and Management.
“Nalilimitahan ng power of coverage ng DAR dahil sa budget na nabibigay ng DBM. Kung wala sana pandemic masu-surpass namin ang target for this year. Sa tantiya namin ngayon, aabot lang kami ng 90% of our target this year because of the pandemic (DAR’s power of coverage is being limited due to the budget given by the DBM. We could have surpassed our target for this year if there was no pandemic. Based on our estimates, only 90% of our target this year has been met),” DAR USec. Atty. David Erro said.
The Php 8 billion budget approved by the DBM is far from the Php 32.97 billion request of the DAR for the continuous distribution of land and support to agrarian reform beneficiaries.
Lawmakers said an additional Php 5 billion would help fund the mega farm projects that will assist agrarian reform beneficiaries in their shift to commercial farming.
The Department of Energy (DOE) and Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) also appealed for more allocation for 2021. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said only Php 2.1 billion was approved from their requested Php 2.6 billion fund.
The DOE budget will only be able to provide electricity to around one million households out of the 1.7 million target.
Out of the Php 1.1 billion budget request of the ERC, only Php 546 million was granted. The additional budget for the ERC will be utilized to expand power investments that could reach a value of Php 200 million. – Report from Naomi Tiburcio
