Alternative Budget Initiative Three-Year Experience 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789
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ALTERNATIVE BUDGET INITIATIVE THREE-YEAR EXPERIENCE 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678Acknowledgment 9 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 The writers and editorial board of this publication would like to thank the following: the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Clusters: ABI Agriculture Cluster: Rice Watch and Action Network, SEARICE, Tambuyog ABI Education Cluster: E-net Philippines, , Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), TEACHERS, Action for Economic Reforms (AER), Teachers’ Dignity Coaltion (TDC), Oxfam -Great Britain ABI Environment Cluster: La Liga Policy Institute, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, Earth Savers’ Movement, Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines - Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission (AMRSP-JPICC), EcoWaste Coalition, Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE), Kaakbay, Haribon Foundation, Healthcare without borders, Kilusan Para sa Makatarungang Lipunan at Gobyerno (KMLG), No-Burn Coalition, Partido Kalikasan Institute (PKI), Partnership for Clean Air (PCA), Philippine. Federation for Environmental Concerns (PFEC), Philippine. Network on Climate Change (PNCC), Saganang Buhay sa Liga ng Bayan Foundation (SBSB Foundation), Sustainability Watch, Tanggol Kalikasan, Upholding Life and Nature (ULAN) ABI Health Cluster: Woman Health Philippines, Health Care Without Harm, Medical Action Group, Institute for Public Health Management, Ayos na Gamots sa Abot-Kayang Presyo (AGAP), PS LINK the funders of this publication the United Nations Development Programme & National Economic Development Authority ABI Champions in Senate and House of Representatives the supportive and transparent public servants in the Departments of Health, Education, Environment and Natural Resources, and Agriculture partners in Mass Media and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) Mabuhay kayo at maraming salamat po! 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 1234567890123456789012345678901Foreword 2 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 12345678901234567890123456789012 Reclaiming the People’s Purse Trillions of pesos in government coffers used to maintain theadministration and to finance development come from the citizens. It is therefore but right for the people to have the biggest say in decisions on national priorities that must be addressed by government. These national priorities are best reflected in the General Appropirations Act, the document that guides the allocation of the national budget. In a democracy, the legislature is the elected representative of the people, entrusted to wield the power of the purse. Sadly, being people’s representatives cannot be said of many Senators and Congressmen, who became so, not with the will to safeguard people’s interest, but that of their own or that of their political benefactors. Add to this the equally sad fact that the law in our country allows one person, the singlehanded power to formulate, approve or disapprove, and release the budget. Even legislators oftentimes sigh and loose hope. Where is the legislature’s so called “Power of the Purse” when the Executive can veto the National Expenditure Program that Congress has approved? Where is the “Power of the Purse” when Congressional initiatives on the General Appropriations Act are being impounded as forced savings and can be used by the executive for whatever purpose it may deem necessary? But amidst the darkness, the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) and Social Watch Philippines provides faith and hope. With the guidance of SWP lead convenor and former national treasurer Leonor Magtolis Briones, civil society has now begun to actively and directly engage in the national budget process through alternative budget proposals. ABI’s budget proposals are results of hard work indeed. They are studied and formulated by the sectoral leaders and citizens groups who painstakingly generate data from the grassroots by working with and consulting the communities. Further, ABI studies the budget of the implementing agencies, consults the government personnel and thereafter, lobbies Congress for increases in the budget of pro-poor programs of the Departments of Health, Education, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, and other government agencies. In addition, ABI was instrumental in alerting Congressmen and Senators about the fact that they are reviewing less than half of the national budget; that there are invisible budgets or sources of public funds that are not within their reach; and that billions of pesos worth of funds which were allocated through Congressional initiatives were not released or were impounded for so many years. By supporting civil society’s alternative budget proposals on critical socioeconomic programs, and by working in partnership with ABI/SWP, Congressmen and Senators can hope to be true to the claim of being genuine representatives of the people. Hopefully, the deterioration of Philippine democracy can be reversed. With ABI and SWP, both Houses of Congress are now clamouring that the Legislature’s Power of the Purse be restored through bills on budget reforms and people’s participation in the national and local budget processes. A beautiful saga on reclaiming the people’s purse has now begun. SENATOR TEOFISTO GUINGONA III Senate of the Philippines 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567 1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456Introduction 7 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567