DepEd personnel working on an educational program. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has rejected three provisions in the P5.268-trillion national budget for 2023, including the use of revolving funds for DepEd TV of the (DepEd), for not being in accordance with existing laws.
鈥淚n keeping with my constitutional duty to ensure faithful execution of the laws, I am constrained to directly veto the provisions introduced in this budget which do not relate to any particular appropriation and would effectively amend substantive laws,鈥� the president said.
In his veto message upon signing on Dec. 16 of the General Appropriations Act for next year, the president turned down Special Provision No. 4, 鈥淩evolving Fund of DepEd TV,鈥� saying there was no law authorizing DepEd to establish such type of funding for this program.
Marcos pointed out that DepEd TV 鈥渋s not a business-type activity of the DepEd,鈥� and only business-type projects may be permitted to use this type of financing under the general provision on revolving funds in the 2023 national budget.
DepEd TV, an initiative of the DepEd鈥檚 Office of the Secretary, is a television-based learning delivery program that is broadcast through the internet and TV stations across the country.
The state-owned broadcast network IBC 13 started airing DepEd TV episodes on Oct. 5, 2020, and as of the end of 2021, DepEd reported that its official TV-based instruction platform had reached 18 million school-aged viewers.
During the pandemic, DepEd TV also aired episodes that supplemented the modules provided to learners by airing safety protocols to avoid getting COVID-19.
Tourism campaign
The president also vetoed the provision 鈥渋n no case shall the appropriations be utilized to change the tourism campaign slogan鈥� under the Department of Tourism-Office of the Secretary (DOT-Osec), arguing that it could limit the exercise of the functions of the executive branch in implementing Republic Act No. 9593, or The Tourism Act of 2009.
Under the law, the DOT is mandated to be the primary planning, programming, coordinating, implementing and regulatory government agency in the development and promotion of the tourism industry, both domestically and globally.
Last Dec. 15, the DOT and the Department of Migrant Workers launched the 鈥淏isita Be My Guest鈥� campaign, which gives incentives to Filipinos who invite foreign tourists to the country.
Sen. Nancy Binay, chair of the Senate committee on tourism, did not object to the President鈥檚 veto, noting only that it was aimed at 鈥渒ickstarting the tourism industry鈥� as it rises from the impact of the pandemic, and 鈥減ush (Filipinos鈥�) persuasive power to sell the Philippines.鈥�
鈥淲e appreciate the promotions initiative of the DOT, but rebranding and marketing can be very costly considering that the DOT would be spending millions of US dollars by just changing the slogan,鈥� Binay explained.
Rebranding may also mean expenses for the printing of 鈥渕arketing collateral, global quad-media advertising placements, international and local sponsorships, travel and trade shows, and other below-the-line campaigns,鈥� she added.
鈥淕iven the country鈥檚 financial challenges, changing to a new slogan at this time may not be a compelling argument. As much as possible, we don鈥檛 want potential tourists to be confused with constantly changing messages every time they watch our new ads on television and social media,鈥� Binay said.
NLRC鈥檚 use of income
The President also vetoed the Department of Labor and Employment-National Labor Relations Commission (Dole-NLRC), Special Provision No. 1, 鈥淯se of Income,鈥� and cited Section 65 of Presidential Decree 1445, or the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines, which stipulates that 鈥渦nless otherwise specifically provided by law, income accruing to the agencies by virtue of the provisions of the law, orders and regulations shall be deposited in the National Treasury or in any duly authorized government depository, and shall accrue to the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund of the government.鈥�
He said the NLRC was 鈥渘ot granted authority to use its income under existing laws,鈥� adding that the funding requirements for the operations of the NLRC were already fully provided under its budget under the 2023 national budget.
The President got a rare backing from the Senate minority bloc for rejecting a number of provisions in the 2023 budget.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said the president raised 鈥渧ery valid points鈥� in his veto message to Congress, but at the same time expressed hope that the president鈥檚 tweaks on the 2023 budget would include a revision in the education allocation to comply with the constitutional mandate to give it the highest priority.
President鈥檚 prerogative
鈥淭he President raised valid points in his veto message. I hope that the prioritization of the education sector as mandated by the Constitution is really reflected in the budget law after the veto,鈥� he said.
Pimentel disclosed that in the bicameral committee report, the public works budget had ballooned to more than P893 billion, which was P60 billion more than the allotment for the education sector.
With no indications that the President鈥檚 veto would be overturned by Congress, senators said they would closely watch how the budget would be actually spent.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he has yet to read the veto message and declined to issue a statement, but deferred to Sen. Sonny Angara, who shepherded the bill until its passage, for a comment on the veto鈥檚 鈥渋mplications.鈥�
Angara, chair of the Senate finance committee, did not respond to queries for his reaction.
Majority Leader Joel Villanueva also said the Senate respected the President鈥檚 veto powers.
鈥淚t is the President鈥檚 prerogative to veto some of the provisions of the (budget), and we trust in his wisdom,鈥� he said.