THE House of Representatives on Friday ended the plenary interpellation on the proposed budgets of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Governance Commission on Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations (GCG), Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), Commission on the Filipino Language (CFL), as well as Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom).
The proposed budgets of these agencies are as follows: MMDA, P5.487 billion; GCG, P241.870 million; PCC, P469.280 million; CFL, P104 million; and Philracom, P187.135 million.
Committee on appropriations vice chairperson and Caloocan City Rep. Mary Mitzi Cajayon-Uy, who sponsored the budget of the MMDA on the plenary floor, said MMDA’s proposed 2025 budget sets aside P1.9 billion for solid waste management, P67 million for traffic management and P607 million for flood control.
As part of MMDA’s flood management efforts, it has partnered with the Department of Public Works and Highways for the construction of four new pumping stations in 2025, and will rehabilitate 26 existing ones.
Uy identified Marikina, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas Valenzuela and Manila as the usual catch basins of Metro Manila for excess water
Sadded that the MMDA is in the process of drawing up a Regional Physical Framework Plan, to begin this September for completion by September 2025. The framework, which will have a 20-year duration, seeks to address Metro Manila’s problems such housing, traffic management and flooding.
During interpellation on the GCG’s budget proposal, Senior Minority Leader and Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza asked if it uses scorecards to assess the performance of the country’s 118 GOCCs.
GCG budget sponsor and Camarines Rep. Arnie Fuentebella that GOCCs are given performance evaluation scorecards.
He cited that the top five GOCCs are Land Bank of the Philippines, the Government Service Insurance System, Home Development Mutual Fund, Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation, and the LBP subsidiary, LBP Resources Development Corporation.
The bottom five include Marawi Hotel since it is not functioning anymore, Corregidor Foundation, and Al-Amanah Bank Foundation.
Fuentebella said the GCG is still evaluating PhilHealth’s 2023 performance. However, the Philhealth got failing scores for its 2022 performance.
During the CFL budget interpellation, budget sponsor and Pangasinan Rep. Christopher de Venecia urged the House leadership and his colleagues to consider augmenting the CFL 2025 proposed budget by P20 million for the agency to further enhance its services and carry out its mandate.
Committee on appropriations senior vice chair and Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, responding to ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. France Castro’s question, broke down the proposed 2025 Philracom budget into 1) general administration and support for 72 plantilla positions, P30.0939 million, 2) horse racing incentive programs for horse owners, P122.1 million, and 3) horse racing regulatory program, P34.09 million.
Quimbo also stood to sponsor the 2025 budget of the PCC, explaining that the agency enforces the Philippine Competition Act, which prohibits anti-competitive mergers and acquisitions, anti-competitive agreements, as well as abuse of dominance.
