Tinio blasts P77.86B BARSc ‘pork-type amendments’

“While teachers are violated and harassed, the pockets of corrupt officials get heavier.”

ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio called out the Budget Amendments Review Sub-committee (BARSc) to insert P77.86 billion in “pork-type amendments” into the 2027 proposed national budget, stressing that the amount could have been used elsewhere.

Tinio expressed his frustration with the seeming insistence of his colleagues at the House of Representatives that funded projects that he believes merely went into the pockets of politicians while undermining the need for allocations for various sectors of the country.

A particular concern of the lawmaker was the indifference of the government to increase support for teachers, arguing that it was an “ultimate insult” to educators that proposed wage increases continued to be ignored despite years of advocacy.

“Our teachers were not only manhandled and beaten on the streets yesterday for demanding salary increase and better conditions, but in the halls of Congress, they are being told their pleas are worthless than political pork,” he stated.

Among the reforms that were pushed in Congress was the push for an increase of P500 to the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA) that was intended for teachers and other government employees.

Tinio questioned why the government decided to funnel a bulk of the budget to “infrastructure lump sums” and “cash assistance programs” despite knowing that such funding was prone to patronage.

“The government has so much funds for pork barrel, but it claims that it can not fund the PERA for teachers and officials of the government? This is not a matter of scarcity; it is a matter of twisted, anti-people priorities,” he stressed.

Of the P77.86 billion that Tinio highlighted, a majority was allotted to the Department of Health, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Agriculture’s respective assistance programs.

The DOH’s Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients was provided an additional P24.97 billion, the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program received P25.81 billion, while the DA’s Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk was granted P10 billion.

Tinio pointed out the proposed amendments were approved by the BARSc without providing any detailed itemization and a lack of transparency when it came to the target locations of the program and the proponents of the same.

“They feast on pork while our teachers starve for dignity and a decent living. They allocate billions for discretionary funds that can be used to consolidate political power, but cannot find the funds to uplift the very people who build the nation’s future,” he expressed.

Tinio further stated that with the addition to such programs came inevitable cuts in other sectors. He said that it was likely that the budget decrease would “come at the expense” of services such as education and healthcare.

As the country participated in the celebration of World Teachers’ Day this Monday, the lawmaker said that it was important for the government to recognize the sacrifice of educators instead of further drowning them in struggles that they have long experienced.

The ACT Teachers representative reiterated his call for the current administration to consider proposals to increase wages of teachers to ensure that they were reasonably compensated for their contributions to society.

“The best tribute to our teachers is not empty rhetoric, but concrete action. Let us champion fair wages and benefits that they are fighting for. Focus public funds on social services and to those serving the public, not to the pockets of the politicians,” he said.