MANILA, (PNA) — The House of Representatives leadership is eyeing a new scheme for the implementation of hard projects such as infrastructure wherein each congressman can identify five projects as maximum costing P2 million each.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. was reacting to the inquiry by House reporters on why it took only more than five minutes to finish interpellation of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) proposed budget for 2014.
“The reason why it was speedily passed is partly because Secretary (Rogelio) Singson has been doing his homework, and responding to questions and he was waiting for his turn to discuss the allocation with the legislature,” he said.
Besides, Belmonte said, the Lower House is targeting to approve on second reading the proposed national budget for next year by Friday night.
He said Singson “definitely does not want to have numerous projects” or what we call “tingi” projects.
“For one, he (Singson) would really want to get projects that at least P2 million, and although we have theoretical limit of five projects, the projects for example school buildings, then you can have a school building with many rooms. To make it simple, we want projects that will have impact to constituents,” Belmonte explained.
According to the Speaker, all projects can be bidded out at the same time like for example the project is all school buildings. Congressmen have P24 million each as maximum price intended for hard projects.
In the past, congressmen can share his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to other districts but this is no longer being tolerated.
The projects are confined in his district except for party-list representatives that does not have specific constituents just like senators.
Belmonte explained that public bidding will be announced by DPWH and all projects like bridges and school buildings will almost have identical designs. The length and width might be different depending on the specification recommended by the district engineer who will make the actual inspection in the identified area.
Congress will go on a two week recess on Sept. 28 and will be back on October 14 to give way for committee and individual amendments.
The Lower House also hopes to pass the proposed P2.268 trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2014 to third and final reading before they go on another recess scheduled on Oct. 25.