Latest news with #DepartmentofBudgetandManagement
Filipino Times
25-05-2025
- Business
- Filipino Times
Arnell Ignacio defends P1.4-B OWWA land deal: ‘Legacy project' for OFWs, not anomalous
Former OWWA Administrator Arnell Ignacio defended the agency's P1.4-billion land acquisition project, saying talks about the deal started as early as 2018 when he was still deputy administrator. Ignacio said the proposal had been brought up in the Senate, where he appealed for flexibility in using the agency's funds. He also claimed they coordinated with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), which provided legal guidance on modifying fund usage. 'All requirements were followed, and the project passed the necessary processes, including the issuance of a Special Allotment Release Order,' he said during a press conference in Quezon City. He added that the OWWA board was informed, and a technical working group reviewed the project under then-Chairman Secretary Hans Cacdac. Ignacio denied any irregularities in the transaction, asserting compliance with Republic Act 10752 and saying the deal should not be called 'anomalous.' 'This is a legacy project for OFWs,' Ignacio said, referring to the 6,499-square-meter property near NAIA Terminal 1. The site, he said, is intended for a halfway house for returning OFWs. He added that Landbank conducted the valuation and CAAP issued the necessary permits. Responding to corruption allegations, Ignacio insisted he did not earn anything from the transaction. 'To the OFWs I have been serving, I did not betray you. I did this out of love and did not profit from it,' he said. Earlier, Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said Ignacio was removed for proceeding with the land purchase without the board's approval. Malacañang said investigations are ongoing, but initial findings showed that the OWWA trust fund was not used for the property purchase.
Filipino Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Filipino Times
Lacson supports marcos' budget oversight, hontiveros warns of constitutional limits
Senator-elect Panfilo 'Ping' Lacson and Senator Risa Hontiveros are at odds over President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s plan to observe the upcoming national budget deliberations. The Department of Budget and Management earlier said the President intends to monitor the entire budget process to ensure alignment with government priorities. Lacson welcomed the move, saying it could strengthen discipline in Congress—as long as Marcos does not interfere in bicameral conference committee discussions. 'It will send a clear and very strong signal to the members of Congress not to make a mockery of our role in the budget process… and that we should not treat the national budget as individual prerogatives,' Lacson said in a statement. However, Hontiveros raised constitutional concerns over the president's involvement, stressing the limited role of the executive in the budget process. 'The power of the purse is wielded by Congress and Congress alone,' she said during a media forum. 'Walang papel ang presidente bilang observer sa bicam sa Konstitusyon. 'Pag pinilit 'yan baka magkaroon pa sila ng problema, baka kasuhan sila.'The debate comes amid legal challenges to the P6.3-trillion 2025 national budget, currently pending before the Supreme Court. Critics have flagged blank allocations and the zero subsidy for PhilHealth as signs of potential abuse.
GMA Network
21-05-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
DBM releases P1.4B for reconstruction, development of conflict-stricken areas
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of over P1.4 billion to support the rebuilding and development of conflict-stricken areas in the country. In a statement on Wednesday, the DBM said Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman approved the release of the fund for the PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Program. The PAMANA Program, implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is composed of micro-level interventions to respond to conflict and strengthen peace-building efforts, as well as support reconstruction and development in conflict-affected and vulnerable areas. The DBM said the PAMANA Program is being implemented in two tracks —the PAMANA Peace and Development Project and the PAMANA Local Government Unit (LGU)-Led Livelihood Track. The PAMANA Peace and Development Project seeks to empower conflict-vulnerable and conflict-affected regions and indigenous communities by providing improved access to basic services and a platform where identified communities can propose projects based on their needs. For this track, a total of P351.071 million is allocated for the capacity building of 198 target areas/communities in regions CAR, I, II, IV A-B, VI-VIII, X, and XIII, according to the Budget Department. The PAMANA DSWD/LGU-led livelihood track is composed of livelihood assistance programs implemented together with the LGUs to complement the community subprojects under the PAMANA Peace and Development Track. It aims to improve the socio-economic condition of the beneficiaries in conflict-affected and vulnerable areas towards sustainable development. A total of P1.049 billion has been allocated for this track for 981 target areas for Sustainable Livelihood Associations in regions CAR, II-VI, NIR, IX, and XIII, the DBM said. A total of P500 million shall be used for the peace and development case management process to facilitate the healing process of individuals, families, and communities over traumas from armed conflict struggles to build their resilience, consistent with the Special Provision of the DSWD budget under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the agency said. The DBM said the appropriated budget for the PAMANA Program is chargeable against the DSWD's budget under the 2025 GAA. — VBL, GMA Integrated News
