DOTr vows swift use of reduced 2022 budget

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has committed to the “swift” deployment of the 2022 budget after the Senate trimmed its full-year spending program to P120 billion.

The DOTr said the Senate version was about P33 billion less than its budget proposal under the National Expenditure Program and P1.5 billion lower than the proposal under the General Appropriations Bill.

“While the proposed budget for next year is lower than what the DOTr has outlined in previous presentations and coordinations, we nevertheless commit to the fulfilment of its mandate in the remaining term of office with whatever approved budget will be made available,” Giovanni Lopez, undersecretary for Finance of DOTr, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The lower budget came as Sen. Grace Poe, who sponsored the agency’s budget, called attention to the DOTr’s historic inability to use its allocation.

The budget will partially support the DOTr’s priority infrastructure projects, including six railway lines, 18 airports, 46 seaports and eight roads.

The breakdown of these projects was not immediately available on Tuesday.

According to Poe, key amendments to the budget include P10.83 billion to pay for service contracting for public utility providers, public utility vehicle modernization; Edsa Busway project; rehabilitation of terminals at critical tourist hubs; payment of obligations to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange land port, and the “promotion of active transportation modes.”

Another amendment involved providing P439 million as subsidy to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and P1 billion for the Bukidnon Airport. INQ