Ungab claimed the Palace should still certify as urgent House Bill 4228 or the GAB for it to move to second and third reading.

While he believes that the House of Representatives is “back on track” despite the fuzz created by its leaders’ disagreement over the 2020 national budget, Appropriations panel chairman Rep. Isidro Ungab still believes that there is a need for Malacañang to certify the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) as urgent.

Saying the House leaders have already resolved their issues about the 2020 budget, he claimed the Palace should still certify as urgent House Bill 4228, or the GAB, for it to move to second and third reading.

The GAB was withdrawn by Deputy Speaker and Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte last Wednesday, prompting Ungab to issue a warning against the possible insertions of “pork barrel funds” into the national budget.

The solon also said the withdrawal will cause delays in the passage of the measure, in the same manner that forced this year’s national budget to crawl in Congress, resulting in the reenacted budget during the early parts of the year.

“That (disagreement) is normal especially for politicians who are fighting for principle,” Ungab said. “We are back on track and we will do our best to deliver to finish [the budget] on time.”

On Monday, he disclosed efforts by some lawmakers to make “insertions” in the GAB. This, he said, was the reason for Villafuerte’s withdrawal of the bill.

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, however, gathered the other House leaders, including Ungab and Villafuerte. A Daily Tribune source claimed Ungab was castigated by Cayetano before his peers.

After the meeting, Cayetano issued a commitment that the budget will be thoroughly scrutinized and its approval will not be delayed.

Ungab said he expects that Malacañang will certify the bill as urgent so that the House could pass the measure on second and third reading on the same day.

“We expect that the Executive department, Malacañang, will issue a certificate of urgency,” he said.

According to Ungab, the GAB, which was earlier sent back to the House Committee on Rules, was to be referred to the Committee on Appropriations last night.

He said the GAB will remain as the same version as the National Expenditure Program (NEP), which was submitted by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

“So far, there will be no changes. I made an explanation why the GAB should be retained as it is because it has been a tradition, a practice here in the House. We usually copy the NEP in toto,” he said.

Ungab explained that it will take a long time for the House to prepare its version of the GAB, reason for the committee’s decision decided to adopt the NEP.

“Yes, it (House) can really make its own GAB, but it will take a long time to prepare the GAB,” Ungab said. “It’s different when made by the Executive department because it has the National Economic and Development Authority, DBM and Department of Finance. It is well aware of the 20-year development plan.”

“That is the real reason why we adopted the NEP. We don’t have engineers; we don’t have district engineers with us. The Executive department makes plans better,” he added.

According to Ungab, lawmakers want a slice of P90 billion for the infrastructure projects slashed from their respective districts through presidential veto of certain items in the 2019 budget.

He said he was made aware of the demands and complaints made by lawmakers during the Department of Public Works and Highway’s (DPWH) budget briefing..

The Appropriations panel will prepare the committee report on the 2020 budget on Monday. The plenary deliberations on the bill will commence om Tuesday, he added.

Meanwhile, lawmakers yesterday questioned Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones on the agency’s failure to utilize P40 billion of its funds for this year.

“Every year, since 2014 more or less, in fact last year, you have unused budget of P40 billion. May I know why is this so, and what particular item of the budget was not utilized?” asked Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor during the budget deliberations.

Briones, defending the agency, said the rate of utilization of the budget of DepEd has been rising since 2017.

“For the past two years, we had very high utilization of the budget,” she said, further adding that when her administration came in, fund use rate was at 88 percent. Now, it is at 97 percent, she said.

According to Education Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla, the current rate of utilized funds of the agency is at 95 percent, however.

Sevilla said the agency could still use the unutilized five percent as the fund is still available.

“These are continuing appropriation, meaning it did not lapse but is being used right now because these are procurement-dependent items.”

The remaining five percent of DepEd funds or some P40 billion are now being used to procure computers, rehabilitation of schools, procurement of learning tools and equipment and textbooks, according to her.

She said only P4 billion remains unused as its availability has already lapsed.

The P4 billion is part of the funds for personal services reserved for the creation and filling up of positions in the agency.

During the budget hearing, the agency was also asked why only 11 out of the 47 school buildings with funding were constructed in 2018.

“The construction is done by the DPWH,” Briones said.

The money for those buildings were also downloaded to the DPWH.

“Our duty is to identify new buildings which are needed,” she added.

For the year 2020, DepEd proposed P259 billion to cover for the previous budget cuts

Defensor urged the panel to reinstate what the DepEd had requested, saying that lack of school buildings will affect the education of school children as there will be congestion in schools.

The DepEd will receive P551.7 billion or 82 percent of the total P673 billion worth of allocation for the education sector.

The State Universities and Colleges will receive P68.5 billion, the Commission on Higher Education will get P40.8 billion, while the Technical Education Skills Authority will get P12 billion.

The DepEd budget for 2020 is higher than its 2019 budget amounting to P531.6 billion.

The major programs for education access with the corresponding proposed budget are: basic education facilities (P36 billion); construction of school buildings (P19.9 billion); classrooms for repair/rehabilitation (P6.5 billion); school furniture (P4.8 billion); electrification (P2 billion for 1,700 sites); flexible learning options (P600.6 million); Madrasah education (P340.7 million); government assistance and subsidies (P31.2 billion); school-based feeding program (P6 billion); and last mile schools program (P1.5 billion).

The Department’s major programs for education quality with the corresponding DBM proposed budget are the DepEd computerization program (P9 billion); human resource development with NEAP transformation (P1.9 billion); learning tools and equipment (P2.7 billion); new school personnel positions (P1.3 billion); and textbooks and other instructional materials (P963.6 million).