The Affair of the State and Why It Should Matter to Us

"Labor is the parent of all the lasting monuments of this world, whether in verse or in stone, in poetry or in pyramids." - Dr. Edward L.Kramer

They said a nation is only as good as its leader and the people who govern it. I am no expert in the political arena. What you will read here is just my personal opinion as a citizen of this country. I try to avoid this topic as much as I can, but I think I should also share my thoughts about this issue since it concerns the well-being of its people, and that includes me. I believe the "affair of the state is also my affair."



Speaking of well-being, if you check the archive list of this blog, you will notice the skipped months. It is a tell-tale sign of my person's state of being. Those were days, weeks, and months when I was in so much pain and depression. There were days when no medicine can ease the gnawing pain. I just stayed in bed with the lights off. No reading. No writing. No blogging.

The way the pain and depression mushroomed out of the blue, one day it also vanished like a snap of a finger. I am not complaining, mind you. I hope it stays that way forever. When I am good and able, I notice almost everything. I hear almost everything. And I sometimes poke my nose to where I should not be, to the irritation of some people. I won't apologize, though. This is who I am.

Now is also the time to take a closer look at our nation's state of affair. The unending case of PDAF or "pork barrel" is frustrating, especially when you think of your hard-earned money (taxes) just deposited in someone else pocket. It makes me seethe to know that these politicians will buy just about anything, and live like royalties with our money. 

Wikipedia says: The Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) is a discretionary fund in the Philippines available to members of Congress. Originally established as the Countrywide Development Fund (CDF) in 1990, it is designed to allow legislators to fund small-scale infrastructure or community projects which fell outside the scope of the national infrastructure program, which was often restricted to large infrastructure items.^[1]

The PDAF is commonly called the "pork barrel", and has been the subject of much public criticism following exposés on abuses perpetuated by members of Congress on use of the fund in 1996 and 2013.

Now there's another "fund case" to study and to dissect. This one goes like; "is it constitutional or not?" The Supreme Court declared the key provisions under DAP (National Budget Circular 541) as unconstitutional, and this may cause a possible impeachment case against the president. (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2014/07/01/dap-key-provisions-declared-unconstitutional-351237). However, President Benigno Aquino III said this is constitutional, and he cited these (below) as his basis during his national address on July 14, 2014.

It is not only my conscience that dictates the efficient spending of funds; various provisions of the law that is our country’s Administrative Code clearly allow for the use of savings. For example, let us now read Book VI, Chapter 5, Section 39 of the 1987 Administrative Code of the Philippines:

“—Except as otherwise provided in the General Appropriations Act, any savings in the regular appropriations authorized in the General Appropriations Act for programs and projects of any department, office or agency, may, with the approval of the President, be used to cover a deficit in any other item of the regular appropriations…”

As you can see, this law openly gives the President the power to transfer savings to other projects. It does not limit the transfer to only one department or branch of government. In other words: We did not transgress the law when we implemented DAP. (Full speech: http://www.gov.ph/2014/07/14/english-national-address-of-president-aquino-on-the-supreme-courts-decision-on-dap/)

UNDERSTANDING THE DISBURSEMENT ACCELERATION PROGRAM - (Public Record)

The Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) is a stimulus package under the Aquino administration designed to fast-track public spending and push economic growth. This covers high-impact budgetary programs and projects which will be augmented out of the savings generated during the year and additional revenue sources. The DAP was approved by the President on October 12, 2011, upon the recommendation of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) and the Cabinet Clusters.

The DAP was conceptualized in September 2011 and introduced in October 2011, in the context of the prevailing underspending in government disbursements for the first eight months of 2011 that dampened the country’s economic growth. Such government intervention was needed because key programs and projects, most notably public infrastructure, were moving slowly. The need to accelerate public spending was also brought about by the global economic situation as well as the financial toll of calamities in that year. While the economy has generally improved in 2012 and 2013, the use of DAP was continued to sustain the pace of public spending as well as economic expansion.

I really don't know how this battle will end, but I do hope the public will suffer no more. Looking at all the figures in these budgets, no one should have gone hungry. Yet, who am I to judge what's right and what's wrong. In time, the guilty will be apprehended, and I should say - the good ones will prevail. But, history will tell us otherwise. However good the intentions are in the beginning, it all ends up in doubt. It is just a story repeated time and again...

*Photo credit to the owners.